


To Shield from the Storm

by Politzania



Series: The Shield Saga [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bonding, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flashbacks, Hand Jobs, Knotting, M/M, No mpreg, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Oral Sex, Surprisingly Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2018-11-23 19:57:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 42,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11409138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Politzania/pseuds/Politzania
Summary: The Avengers have gone their separate ways after the Battle of New York and Tony Stark is on his own in the Tower.  He's successfully kept his omega status secret from all but a very few for decades; the suppressants have (mostly) done their job, but not for much longer.Learning to team up with Captain America --  possibly the most famous alpha of the 20th century and someone Tony's already managed to alienate --  is going to be just that much more difficult, now, isn't it?2/28/2018 -  The Stucky prequel to this fic is now COMPLETE:Forging the Shield.  It's not necessary to read that fic first,  but it may provide some insight into Steve's behavior along the way.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Despite having incredibly mixed feelings about the alpha/beta/omega trope, I found myself with a Plot Bunny hopping around that just wouldn't go away. I blame @sabrecmc and their most excellent [Celestial Navigation](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10720710/chapters/23753940) story for showing that an a/b/o fic doesn't have to all be about sex. 
> 
> That said, I'm slapping a Mature rating on this fic from the get-go; ~~while I don't plan on writing anything too explicit (or if I do, it will be pulled into a separate fic or chapter)~~ , by the nature of the trope, there will be some sexually-oriented material. HUGE thanks to both @this-is-romanoff and @hddnone (Marvelous Menagerie) for their stellar beta work on this fic! 
> 
> FYI: The first three chapters are backstory/flashback - delving into Tony's history. Forgive the indulgence.

Tony Stark hated his body. No, that wasn’t entirely true. What he hated at the moment was his body’s biological quirk that was currently making his life even more difficult. As if an alien army led by a vengeful demi-god and the resultant destruction hadn’t been enough to deal with. A rage monster, a couple of spies with all sorts of tricks up their sleeves (or in Barton’s case, lack of sleeves), the demi-god’s buff blond brother and a thawed out alpha supersoldier all rounded up and thrown into the fray while being expected to play nice with each other. Of course Tony Stark hadn’t been good enough for the goddamned Avengers Initiative until the shit started hitting the fan. 

At least it seemed Fury hadn’t told his teammates about Tony’s dirty little secret. A secret that, with a few minor exceptions, he’d been able to cope with and succeed in spite of for over twenty-five years now. Everyone knew Tony Stark was Iron Man, but he was also one of a very small minority: an omega. 

Over 90% of the modern population remained ‘standard’ humans after puberty ran its course. But for god knows what reason, a small remainder mutated further: with best estimates being that alphas outnumbered omegas by about three to two, regardless of gender. The imbalance between the two subpopulations was the subject of much debate. Tony’s personal hypothesis was that Mother Nature made more alphas because they tended to be so goddamned reckless with their own lives; based on the ones he knew, it was an absolutely valid observation. 

Whereas alphas usually leveraged their biological tendencies towards positions of power and influence, omegas were perceived as fragile, flighty creatures ruled by their emotions. While artistically creative, they were generally thought incapable of being relied on for clear decision making, or complex cognition. It was bullshit of course, like most stereotypes. After all, Tony had been three-quarters of the way towards being one of the youngest graduates ever at MIT (with a double major in Applied Physics and Mechanical Engineering to boot) when he first started showing signs late in the year after his sixteenth birthday. 

\----------------------------------------------------

Thank god he’d come home during Christmas break to discuss those indicators with the Stark family doctor. While John Streiten was officially a member of the SHIELD Medical Research Division, he’d also taken on the responsibility of monitoring the health of the top members of the organization and their families. Streiten was also a thoughtful and discreet man who took Tony’s complaint of an odd, painful cramping low in his abdomen seriously. After Tony mentioned a couple of other embarrassing symptoms, he subjected his patient to some half-naked poking and prodding. Tony could barely bring himself to look the doctor in the eye for the rest of the appointment. 

Finally, the doctor took a blood sample. “I’m almost positive I know what’s going on with you, Tony,” he said in a reassuring voice, “but knowing your father, I’ll need rock solid evidence. I’ve coded your sample so no one outside of this office will know who it belongs to.” 

“So, if I have some sort of STD, they can’t sell the info to the tabloids?” Tony asked, suddenly worried that his first tentative forays into having a sex life had left a nasty souvenir despite the precautions he’d taken. 

“No, that’s not what we have to be concerned about. But I want to wait for the results before I say much more.” 

A week later, Doctor Streiten asked Tony to bring his parents with him to the after-hours follow-up appointment. Howard had stormed out as soon as the word ‘omega’ was mentioned, while Maria burst into tears. Tony sat stock still, a thousand thoughts running through his mind. His entire life had just been turned upside down. 

“Now, Mrs. Stark,“ the doctor said, hurrying to reassure her, “there’s a lot of misinformation out there about omegas, and alphas, for that matter. Movies and television cater to the lowest common denominator and dramatize everything. There’s no reason Tony can’t finish his schooling, pursue whatever career he chooses and have a happy, fulfilled life. Why don’t you go find your husband and let me talk to to Tony alone.” She nodded, dabbed at her face with a handkerchief and left the room. 

“Okay, Doc, be honest with me,” Tony said. “Don’t bother trying to make me feel better about all this.”

“I was being honest,” Streiten responded mildly. “Most omegas find their cycles to be only a minor inconvenience, especially once they have a partner -- who doesn’t necessarily have to be an alpha, mind you. In the meantime, there are devices that you can use to help relieve the physical aspects of a heat.” Tony felt his face turn beet red; he had a pretty good idea what the doctor meant, based on the unaccustomed urges he’d started feeling. 

“For what it’s worth, the mental and emotional aspects of omega cycles are the ones that are most overwrought in the media. You’ve already got a good head on your shoulders, I can pretty much promise you’re not going to lose it every month.” Streiten smiled, then resumed his serious tone. “That said, there is another option we can explore. I wouldn’t usually recommend it to someone so young, but you’re a special case.” 

Tony vaguely remembered the single day his health class had spent on the biological anomalies of the alpha and omega systems. Both alphas and omegas had a third gonad, which provided the haploid gametes, the genetic equivalents of egg and sperm, which were transferred only during an actual knotting. For omega males, a pouch off of the sigmoid colon became the equivalent of a uterus during their cycle, and for alpha females, the clitoris swelled to a pseudophallus. Needless to say, the latter term had become the playground insult of choice among the kids in Tony's class for the next several months. There also had been something about a gland at the base of the skull that excreted both hormones and pheromones to facilitate the bonding process. Tony absently felt at the back of his own neck, and found a warm, tender lump that ached pleasantly when he pressed on it. 

“I’ve never had to go to the hospital before,” Tony replied, trying to keep his voice from quivering, “but if you think surgery would get me back to normal --” 

“Good god, no!” Streiten interrupted with a shocked expression. “Of course not! That’s a last chance option, only to be considered if an individual has been stuck in a heat for weeks and all other therapies have failed. As with an orchiectomy or full hysterectomy, there are long term effects on the body in terms of metabolism and bodily functions. And unlike those procedures, the equivalent procedures on the omega system aren’t as well studied or understood.” He patted Tony’s shoulder in apology. “That’s not what I meant at all.” 

The doctor then proceeded to tell Tony about omega suppressants -- a biochemical concoction that would more or less stop his system from cycling and conceal the traditional side effects without affecting his normal libido. Developed in the 1960’s as a spinoff of hormonal birth control, suppressants were available in both pill form as well as implants. Streiten recommended the daily pill, as it provided the steadiest dose of hormones and had the fewest side effects of its own. “While the implants last about three months,” he explained, “the hormone level can vary throughout the time period. There have also been concerns about their effect on long term fertility.” 

“Not a problem, Doc.” Tony broke in. He didn’t ever want to have children, not the so-called normal way, and sure as hell not as the carrier. “The implants make sense to me; no chance of missing a pill or forgetting to order a refill. Plus less chance of a pharmacy tech spilling the beans.” 

“I think this part of the conversation needs to involve your parents, Tony,” the doctor. Let’s go see how they’re doing.” 

Howard’s blood was still running hot, but he listened carefully to Streiten’s explanation of the suppressants, asking questions that hadn’t occurred to Tony. He concurred that that the implants seemed the best option, and Maria agreed. “Unfortunately, it will take about a week for the order to get here,” Streiten said, “You can start on a round of the pills in the meanwhile. Come with me, Tony.” 

The doctor ushered him back into his office, then reached into the bottom drawer of his desk. “Even with a double dose of the pills, you’re still going to feel the effects for a few days. This should help.” He took out a slim cylindrical package and handed it to Tony, along with some sample sized packets of gel. Tony awkwardly stuffed them into his pocket, blushing furiously even as he appreciated the doctor’s discretion. 

The drive back to his parents’ home was ominously silent. Tony had grown up with stories of his maternal grandfather, an alpha whose sterling service during the Battle of Midway resulted in him becoming the youngest admiral ever in the United States Navy. It was a common belief that the alpha trait skipped generations, and Howard had surely held out hope that his son would be one of the lucky ones. 

It hadn’t helped matters that Tony's father had been close personal friends with Steven Grant Rogers, aka Captain America who had been perhaps the most famous American alpha of the last century, next to John F. Kennedy. At least Rogers -- unlike the 35th president -- had been able to keep it in his pants, Tony thought. Interviews with the women who had been in the USO show with Rogers claimed he had been a perfect gentleman, and Howard had gotten quite a bit of mileage out of the ‘fondue’ story over the years. When Tony had asked Aunt Peggy about her relationship with the skinny kid from Brooklyn turned Adonis, she reinforced the impression that it was more of a ‘could have been’ situation between her and Rogers than anything more. 

Howard disappeared into his study the minute they got home. By the time Tony got up the next morning, his father was already on his way to an overseas business meeting that he hadn’t mentioned to either Tony or Maria beforehand. “Your father will come around, Tony.” She was trying to comfort, to reassure him; but Tony had known even before this latest crisis the opinion his father had of him. 

 

“This had better be important, Tony,” his friend snapped into the phone. “Asking me to spend a good chunk of my last day at home on a train up and back just to see your skinny white butt.”

“It is, Rhodeybear - too important for a phone call. And I offered to book you plane tickets.” 

“Yeah, I know,” But that had apparently smacked too much of charity; despite attending MIT on a full-ride scholarship, money was still incredibly tight for the Rhodes family. And now he was in his first year at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, thankfully with Uncle Sam footing most of the bill. “My momma’s not gonna be happy.” 

“A gift certificate for a spa day is already in the mail,” Tony replied. He’d only met Mrs. Rhodes a handful of times. She was a remarkable woman, and he was more than a little jealous of her fierce devotion to her son. He hoped a bit of luxury would make up for stealing Rhodey away from her for the day.

“You’ve got her number, Tones,” Rhodes laughed. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” 

“Thanks, buddy.” 

 

As he waited for Rhodey to arrive at the restaurant, Tony got to thinking about how their friendship had developed. They had both been assigned to what seemed like an impossible class project, and Jim Rhodes (already a full alpha and on both the crew and water polo teams), took the geeky child prodigy under his wing. Their friendship had quickly blossomed, and by the time Rhodey graduated, they were nearly inseparable. 

While he knew that his friend had always wanted to be a test pilot, to push the bounds of speed and sky, it had been difficult for Tony when Rhodey went halfway across the country to pursue his dream. Perhaps his innate omega-ness was responding to Rhodes’ alpha nature. Then again, considering he didn’t have much experience with friendship, maybe this feeling of loss was normal. 

Tony had chosen Mama Leone’s for lunch; not only was it fairly close to the train station, but he hoped the garlic and oregano in the air would help mask any pheromones he might be putting out. He’d been on the pills for a week, and had gotten the implant just that morning; a band-aid covering the small incision on his upper arm. But as soon as Rhodey came in for a bro hug as they shook hands, he went on alert -- his nostrils flaring and body tensing as he shot Tony a questioning look. 

“What’s going on?” he asked, voice low and serious. 

“Let’s go sit down, get our order in, and I’ll explain.” 

“Holy shit, Tones,” Rhodey hissed once Tony broke the news. “I thought maybe you had girl trouble or were freaking out about starting your last semester at college, but this?” He threw his hands out at Tony across the table, gesturing sharply up and down. “I don’t even know where to start.” Tony had never seen Rhodey so agitated, which in turn made him feel about three inches high.

“Does this mean we can’t be friends anymore?” he blurted out before he could stop himself. 

Rhodey laid his hands gently on the table as his expression softened. “No, Tony. Of course not. I just, well, it’s kinda like if you told me you were gay or something. It’s a shock, I gotta admit, but you’re still you. Still Tony.” He flashed a reassuring smile as he continued, “We’ve been through a lot together, and you will always be one of my best friends,” Rhodey reached out and clasped Tony’s hand. 

“Even if I take the last breadstick?” Tony replied, trying to lighten the mood as he suited deed to word. 

Rhodey laughed. “Yeah, kid. Even if you take the last breadstick. Now, tell me a little more about the whole suppressant deal. That’s not something the doctor talked much about when I presented as alpha.” Tony spent the rest of their meal sharing what he’d learned after scouring the Columbia College library stacks for information on omega biochemistry in between bites of his meal. 

“So, once all the hormones kick in, you’ll be back to your old self?” Rhodey asked, snatching the last cannoli away just as Tony reached for it. He then broke it in half to share.

“Pretty much. The doctor said that emotional or physical stress can sometimes throw the balance out of whack and trigger a heat, but otherwise, yeah.” 

“And you still like girls, right?” That was a difficult question for Tony to answer. Yes, he still was attracted to women, but over the past week or so, he’d found himself occasionally checking out men as well. In fact, he’d been hard pressed not to stare too closely at Rhodey himself as they talked. He’d known his best friend was good looking from an objective point of view; but now it felt a little more personal. 

“Um, yeah... mostly?” Tony replied. If he couldn’t be honest with his best friend, then who could he be honest with? 

“Huh. Well, if you’re good with it, Tones, I’m good with it, too.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony attempts to resume his normal life, only to be met with family tragedy and an ill-considered romance. Nevertheless, with the assistance of his father's right hand man (and a capable and lovely assistant) the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist takes his place at the top of his profession, as well as the covers of tabloids. But pride comes before a fall; and the cumulative stress of being held hostage, seeking retribution and facing betrayal eventually takes its toll.

It didn’t take Tony long to realize that -- once the suppressant implants seemed to be doing their job -- his father was more than happy to pretend that nothing had ever happened. Howard Stark’s genius (but otherwise perfectly normal) son would graduate with top honors from MIT that spring and come to work at Stark Industries, with the eventual plan of finding a suitable wife and taking the company’s reins once the elder Stark was ready to retire. No muss, no fuss. Tony in turn kept his part of the unspoken bargain, getting his Brass Rat and heading back to New York City, where he joined the R&D team as an associate designer. 

Maria also never mentioned Tony’s new status; but she did seem a bit more solicitous of his wellbeing, commenting if she thought he looked tired or pale and suggesting this home remedy or that. He also suspected that a certain mail order catalog that offered discreet packaging of their products was her doing; but there was no way he could ever bring that particular topic up with his mother, of all people. He had to admit the catalog had come in handy; even with the suppressants, there was an occasional twinge, a hollow ache that needed to be dealt with. So he made some purchases and took things into his own hands.

Maria also tried to encourage Tony’s supposed artistic side, asking him to escort her to what felt like every possible cultural event in the city. To be fair, someone of her standing in society got a lot of invitations. Tony soon discovered that operas left him cold; even if he did speak the language they were supposedly singing in, not only could he only catch maybe one word in five, he certainly didn’t need more drama in his life. 

Ballet was a little more engaging, but the stylized storytelling also didn’t usually trip his trigger. Symphonies were hit or miss: he was always up for something from Bach or Holst, but most of the Romantics were a bit too overblown for his tastes. Regardless of his preferences, Tony knew it made his mother happy to have her handsome son on her arm as she was out and about, seeing and being seen. So he indulged her, not on every occasion, but often enough. 

And with her society connections, Maria was also quite the matchmaker, introducing him to eligible young ladies left and right. She assumed was only a matter of time before he’d find Ms. Right, someone he could love, and who would love him just as he was. Tony humored his mother and dated each debutante for a few weeks, but none of them could really hold his interest or felt like someone he could make a life with. Even though he hooked up with a few of them, the women all remained oblivious to his omega status and he moved on. In the meanwhile, Tony told himself he was happy, or at least content. 

And then his parents were gone; killed in a terrible car accident less than ten days before Christmas, and Tony’s life was turned upside down once again. He made some terrible choices during that dark time ... one of which went by the name of Tiberius J Stone. 

Tony couldn’t even remember exactly how they met, just that he was head over heels before he knew it. He’d thought it was love at the time of course; but with the clarity of hindsight, it was simply his omega hormones seeking a source of comfort and strength during an emotional upheaval. And Stone hadn’t even been a real alpha -- just a regular guy hopped up on steroids and artificial pheromones. 

Ty Stone was the son of a senator; handsome and charming and accustomed to getting what he wanted. He had as much to lose from their relationship getting out as Tony did, so their secret had seemed safe, and Tony had been happy for awhile. A firm believer in the alpha stereotypes both in bed and out, Stone’s need to continually dominate Tony finally caused their break. Tony had made the mistake of giving Stone three strikes; and when the last one drew blood, he’d had enough. But the alpha wanna-be wasn’t quite ready to give up his omega.

Tony finally turned to Obadiah Stane, his father’s right hand man and close friend for help. While he was busy running Stark Industries, he always made time for the heir to the company. Not only did he know about Tony’s status, but he had the connections to convince Stone to let Tony be. Not that Tony got away scot free -- Obie gave him quite the tongue lashing about ‘spreading your legs for the first alpha that gives you the time of day’. 

Which was the pot calling the kettle black; Tony had lost count of the number of ‘nieces’ Obie had hanging off his arm at the various fundraising galas Maria Stark had so ably hosted over the years. But he took his punishment meekly enough, accepting it as the price for getting free of Stone. Several thousand dollars later, and with the threat of pressing charges for assault and battery, the deed was done and Tony could close the door on that chapter of his life. 

The next two decades saw the both ascent of Stark Industries and Tony’s own rise to fame. Stane’s expert leadership combined with Tony’s innovative designs and cutting edge engineering concepts gave Stark Industries the push it needed to become the lead contractor for the United States Department of Defense Stane also demonstrated to his now of-age protege how easy it was to mix work and play -- taking him out to gentlemen’s clubs and casinos and introducing him to the world of fine spirits. 

But Tony found time to socialize on his own terms as well. Invitations to the hottest nightspots arrived on a regular basis, as Tony’s mere presence could make or break their reputation. He loved dancing and the whole atmosphere of a club, but his sensitivity to alcohol varied depended on his almost nonexistent cycle. Tony quickly learned how to make it appear as if he were drinking without actually getting drunk, but he missed the mark occasionally. One mistake he never made was failing to identifying where alphas congregated. Those places always got a wide berth. 

Given both Stane’s efforts and his own social mingling, Tony was never at a loss for female companionship, and his reputation as a playboy blossomed. It was bolstered more by rumor than fact; despite what got splashed across the tabloids, he was cautious with his physical affections. Many more women claimed to have been with him then ever actually had over the years. 

For the relative few who did actually make it to his bedroom, condoms were non-negotiable, no matter what they said they were on. Therefore, any claims made as to his fathership were easily proved false with a paternity test. Regarding his occasional other urges, a well-paid escort who signed an NDA and had no qualms about taking a masculine role sufficed; she neither needed nor cared to know exactly what kink she was satisfying as long as she got paid. But no matter who he met, whichever model or actress the press paired him with on any given week, Tony Stark never put his heart at risk. 

Until Virginia ‘Pepper’ Potts came into his life. Hired as his personal assistant, she was intelligent and efficient and quite attractive, to boot. Taking stewardship of his professional schedule, Miss Potts sat in on many of the meetings both with suppliers and customers in order to understand their relationship to Stark Industries as well as develop her own connection with them. 

Once her boss’ work life was whipped into shape, Pepper moved on to his personal one. She saw through Tony’s reputation as a lady-killer and was willing to run interference for him regarding his more persistent admirers. As they spent more time together, Tony discovered Pepper’s wicked sense of humor, as well as her capacity for compassion and tender-heartedness. Rhodey, who was now a colonel in the US Air Force as well as Stark Industries’ military liaison, told Tony on more than one occasion that Miss Potts was exactly what he needed; and the double meaning did not escape him. 

Tony had thought he was almost in love with Pepper and planned to take her out on a date when he got back from his latest weapons demonstration. But things didn’t quite go as planned and when he returned from Afghanistan with a machine in his chest keeping him alive, he had other priorities. 

Thankfully, said machine had distracted the first set of doctors from taking a close look at the rest of his anatomy beyond a cursory patch-up job. The third thing he did when he got back to California -- after getting a couple of goddamned cheeseburgers and holding one hell of a press conference -- was to reach out to Doctor Streiten. He’d retired from practice, but still consulted with Tony on an as-needed basis. 

Streiten gathered a surgical team willing to keep their mouths shut in exchange for both handsome financial compensation and a chance to work on a unique medical case. They had permission to write anything they wanted about the surgery to replace the jerry-rigged technology in his chest with the streamlined, more powerful reactor Tony had built the moment he could get his hands on actual manufacturing equipment. However, if they even hinted at his omega status, he’d unleash the fury of Stane on them. 

Tony hadn’t dared to question why the constant stress of being a captive never triggered a heat. There hadn’t been any alphas in the group of men holding him captive, for one thing, and he couldn’t help but think that that the survival instinct simply overrode any other biological imperatives. That respite continued throughout the weeks of designing and building the Mark II and III suits with the aim of blowing his former captors and their ilk off the face of the earth. Retribution was apparently a sufficient suppressant in and of itself. 

Or so he thought. The moment with Pepper out on the concert hall roof could have been perfect. He’d spotted her from across the crowded ballroom in that daring blue gown and she was suddenly all he could see. They danced, he made her smile and blush, and then they went out to get some air. Suddenly he was doubling over, cramps tearing through his system. Pepper was just about to dial 911 when he gasped out Streiten’s number before momentarily passing out. The next thing he knew, Hogan had an arm around him, and he was barely keeping on his feet as they made their way through a back hallway to the limo. 

Tony had tried to convince Pepper to stay in the car, but she insisted on accompanying him into Streiten’s home office, watching like a hawk as the doctor took blood samples and did a cursory examination through his rumpled clothing. 

“Tony, are you sure you want your ... associate ... to be here?” While Tony appreciated Streiten’s concern, he figured that Pepper had earned the right to know what was going on. Especially if he had any hope of a relationship with her beyond boss and personal assistant. 

“Yeah. She’s good.” And wasn’t that an understatement. 

“I’ll have more information once I get the results back, but it certainly looks as if you have a heat coming on, and it’s likely to be a strong one.” Streiten tapped his clipboard and gave Tony a stern look. “You need rest. I’d recommend a temporary alpha assignation, but I know you too well.” 

Pepper’s jaw dropped when she realized the implications of what the doctor had said. “Wait, Tony ... you’re an omega? That can’t be right! I mean... all those patents.... all those women....” 

“Aw, Pep.... don’t tell me you believe those stories about omegas being ditzy airheads. And while I’m not exactly a zero on the Kinsey scale, I can assure you I do enjoy being with women, and the feedback I’ve gotten so far indicates vice versa.” 

She clapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, god -- that must have sounded so insensitive! It’s just ... well ... I had no idea.” 

“That’s kind of been the point all along.” He took her hand and placed it on his arm, just below his rolled-up sleeve, gently running her fingers over the small bumps under his skin. “Dear old dad couldn’t stomach the idea of his son, heir to the Stark legacy, being an omega. These handy-dandy little suppressant implants have kept me more or less on an even keel for over twenty years.” 

Streiten broke in. “And your system needs a break, Tony. Long-term studies have shown that--” 

“Sorry, Doc. No rest for the wicked, at least not anytime soon. Tell me there’s another option.” Backing up his argument with the research he’d done on omega biology over the years, Tony convinced Streiten to prescribe supplemental hormones to get him through the rest of the month, along with a multivitamin shot. By the time he and Pepper left the doctor’s office, Tony had pulled himself back together and was ready to finish what he’d started. 

It was Stane’s betrayal that had been the final straw. The realization that the man he had trusted with his company and his own well-being had turned against him and wanted him dead -- well, that was worse than the three months in the caves. Even years later, Tony still had nightmares about Obie looming over him, reaching into his chest and tearing his heart out. And while Stane’s death had been almost completely in self-defense, Tony found himself drowning in guilt. 

He made it through another press conference by the skin of his teeth, with Rhodey’s presence being both a comfort and torture. Tony hadn’t had a chance to get his oldest friend up to speed on his body’s latest hijinks before they were already up on the dais together. Thank god for military discipline; Rhodey didn’t so much as twitch even though Tony knew the pheromones had to simply be rolling off him at this point. It didn’t help that Rhodey’s scent, a warm spiciness that Tony had never quite been able to identify, was coming through loud and clear as well. 

The moment after he announced, “I am Iron Man.” Tony strode through the crowd of reporters, ignoring their clamor to slide into the back seat of his waiting limo. 

“Home, Happy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah - pretty much all of _Iron Man_ played out in this chapter. There's a few tweaks here and there, of course, to account for a different 'verse.
> 
> Let me know if this is working for you in the comments below or come on over to [ Tumblr](https://polizwrites.tumblr.com/) and say hi!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Tony gets over his heat (with a bit of help), he and Pepper work to keep Stark Industries going in new directions after Stane's death. Along the way, they discover a new facet to their partnership.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: This is one of the chapters that earns the Mature rating of the fic, as there is a brief, non-explicit sex scene about 15 paragraphs in -- watch for the extra white space between paragraphs.

“Oh, Tony...” At the sound of the familiar voice, Tony slowly swam to consciousness and immediately wished he hadn’t. But for a corner of a sheet draped across his hips, he was naked, covered in sweat and worse. His skin felt as if it were buzzing with desire and he ached and burned with the need for relief. It was primal, and he was helpless against it; he’d used everything he had in his collection with no lasting relief. Not even copious amounts of alcohol had done more than taken the edge off. 

“Pep’r ... what’re y’ doin’ ‘ere?” Tony slurred. His head was stuffed with cotton and the light stabbed into his skull when he tried to open his eyes. He couldn’t tell if it was an impending hangover or the hormones wreaking havoc on his system. Probably both. 

“Hogan told me he practically had to carry you into the house yesterday. I’d have come sooner but I had to deal with the fallout of the press conference. ‘I am Iron Man’? My god, Tony, what were you thinking?” He squinted to see Pepper half-turned away from him, shielding her face. “Um, can you cover up a little?” she asked, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. 

“Sorry, Pep.” Tony weakly pawed at the covers, and pulled them up over his shame. He shook with chills, teeth chattering so hard he could barely speak. “How’d you get in?” he finally managed to spit out. 

“I asked JARVIS nicely. Hang on, I’ll be right back.” She patted his shoulder comfortingly and then stepped over to the ensuite. 

“My own creation betraying me,” Tony mumbled into his pillow.

“Based on your vital signs, Sir, and recent behaviour, I thought it wise that you not be alone,” his AI replied in cultured tones that replicated the voice of a man twenty-five years in the grave. 

“Tony, is this normal for a heat?” Pepper sat down next to him and wiped a warm washcloth across his forehead and down his cheeks. He couldn’t resist leaning into her, desperate for human contact. 

“Dunno. Never really had one.” And suddenly he was burning up, the blankets weighing heavily on his chest. As he feebly thrashed to get free, a wave of nausea hit him like a freight train. But, as he’d had nothing to eat since lunch the day before, dry heaves wracked his body instead. 

“Tony, you can’t do this to yourself. I’m calling an ambulance.” He recognized Pepper’s ‘take no prisoners’ tone, but mustered the strength to grab her wrist. 

“No. Pepper, Please don’t.” He had to make her listen, make her understand. “There’s too many people depending on the company, on me. Especially now that’s Stane’s dead. You know the Board would throw me over in a heartbeat if they found out I was an omega. I’ll be alright. Promise.” 

They stared at each other for a long moment, and then JARVIS interrupted. “Sir? Miss Potts? Colonel Rhodes is requesting entry.” 

“Let him in,” Pepper said quickly; and before Tony could countermand the order, they heard him asking, “Where’s Tony?” 

“Mister Stark is currently in his bedroom, speaking with Miss Potts. Do you need directions, Colonel?” 

“I got it,” came the terse reply. And within moments, Rhodey was standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable. “I think you need to go now,” he said in a low voice to Pepper. 

“You’re welcome to try to talk sense into.... Oh.” Even if Pepper hadn’t known that Rhodey was an alpha, surely she would have sensed the sudden tension in the air. She glanced at Tony, and he could only nod, not trusting his voice. Positioned between them, she stood up and directly addressed Rhodey. “I swear, if you hurt Tony in any way, you will have to deal with me.” Her back ramrod straight, she left the room. 

 

It was indescribably awkward to have had your best friend, a man who was now probably only 90% straight, balls deep inside you while you begged and pleaded for more. They’d coupled at least twice, perhaps three times -- it had all blended together. But they hadn’t knotted. Whether that was due to Rhodey not having had sufficient time to develop a full rut, or if he’d somehow kept himself under control, Tony never had the courage to ask. It had been a small blessing to not have to worry about being impregnated on top of everything else. They’d barely taken the time to establish clear and informed consent, much less explore birth control options. 

And Rhodey hadn’t tried to bond, to bite into that gland that supposedly established the deep emotional connection between an alpha and an omega. Regardless, there had been tenderness amid the frenzy of lust, the animal passion tempered by concern and care. Perhaps even something like love, even if it were more philia than eros. And when it was all over, Rhodey helped Tony shower and changed the sheets on the bed before tucking him in. 

Tony thought he remembered Rhodey lying down next to him; but when he awoke the next morning, his friend was gone. It had been enough. Tony already felt his equilibrium returning; any lingering effects explained away by circumstances. But he knew they had stretched the bounds of their friendship very nearly to the breaking point. This had been a singular, anomalous event; never to be repeated. 

After a day of rest (all he felt he could truly afford to take) Tony donned his metaphorical armor -- a bespoke three piece suit he’d gotten during his last visit to Rome -- and returned to Stark Industries. Pepper was already waiting for him and once she’d given him a rather extensive daily briefing, he said, “Thank you, Pepper, for everything.” 

“Just doing my job.” 

“I don’t think that helping your boss blow up his power-crazed, mechanical suit-wearing former mentor was on your To Do list, Pep. Much less standing between an alpha and an omega on the verge of ... well, you know. And now that I’ve added ‘flying vigilante superhero’ to my list of monikers, I wouldn’t blame you for running for the hills.” And while his tone was joking, he meant every word. 

“I don’t desert my friends, Tony.” Her quiet sincerity and reassuring smile was like a cool ocean wave washing over a dry desert, laying his feelings for her bare. So because Tony Stark never could let damn well enough alone, he pressed on. “What about the gala? That moment on the roof of the concert hall?” 

The smile faded away, replaced by uncertainty. “I don’t know right now.” 

Tony had already nearly lost Rhodey by letting his emotions get the better of him, and he’d be damned if he did that again, so he bit back his initial impulse, which was to respond, ‘So, when will you know?’ and simply nodded in reply. “Fair enough. Like I said, you didn’t sign up for any of this. Let’s get back to work.” 

 

For the next several weeks, the two of them focused diligently on keeping Stark Industries from falling apart. In a fantastic twist of fate, Stane’s shares in SI went to a nephew of his who was getting a PhD in environmental science with a focus on renewable energy. (Apparently Stane hadn’t updated his will in quite some time.) Between those shares and Tony’s own percentage, they were able to tilt the balance at the emergency shareholders’ meeting and Tony could keep his vow. Stark Industries was out of the weapons business for good; beating swords into turbine blades and solar panels, to mangle a metaphor. 

In the meanwhile, Tony had personally made up the difference between the unemployment insurance and amount of the most recent paycheck for each SI employee who was out of work due to his abrupt announcement. Pepper was working with the division heads to reallocate as many of those employees as possible within the company, with a success rate of 75% once all was said and done. 

The arc reactor power plant was nearly a total loss, but since Tony had a brand spanking new design lodged in his chest, he figured it was easy enough to scale it up and start over. And not just at the southern California facility. Tony wanted a showcase to kick off Stark Industries’ new focus on clean energy. He pushed through plans to raze the old SI building in downtown New York, and he and Pepper started working on designs for a multipurpose building that would grace the skyline of Manhattan. 

And that wasn’t all. After a magnificent lunch at the Tam O’Shanter Inn with Bob Iger, Tony got his hands on Walt Disney’s original plans for Progress City. Combined with his own father’s 1974 Stark Expo documentation, SI was well on its way to hosting the first World’s Fair held in the US since 1984. 

Sure, Tony’s personal life was now nonexistent (not a big loss) and his bloodstream was at least 15% caffeine, but he was doing something meaningful. He was making things right. Tony found that he was actually proud of himself for the first time in a very, very long time. As he and Pepper were wrapping up an end-of-day touchpoint meeting, she said, “You’ve got an appointment tomorrow night, 9:30 out at the Griffith Park Observatory.” 

“Huh? With who? Why so late and why out there?” Dinner meetings were common enough, but this was a bit of an oddball request.

“They requested confidentiality, hence the time and location. But I believe they want to discuss a change in status, with the possibility of a merger.” Pepper responded as if there were nothing unusual at all about the meeting; she had a hell of a poker face. 

“And that’s all you’re going to tell me, isn’t it? Fine - JARVIS, set a reminder.” 

“Certainly, Sir.” 

 

But it wasn’t until Dum-E was actually trying to take the soldering iron out of his hand that Tony realized that JARVIS was indeed reminding him of his appointment. He checked the clock. Shit -- it was already quarter after eight and he’d need at least 45 minutes to get there. Tony glanced down at his ratty sneakers, his torn and stained jeans and the AC/DC shirt that he’d somehow smeared axle grease across at some point. 

Well, they’d asked for an off-hours meeting; surely they couldn’t expect to see him in business dress. He washed his hands and made sure he didn’t have anything on his face, grabbed a set of keys and was on his way. 

Tony was only a little bit late, having taken the longer way around to drive up Western Canyon Road to the Observatory. He loved the way this coupe hugged the curves, but damn, but he missed his ‘65 Shelby. He was supposed to be getting it back in a few months -- no time to restore his baby himself -- but it would never be quite the same. 

The observatory was only open to the public three nights a week, and since this wasn’t one of them, there was only one other car in the parking lot. He parked nearby, then walked up to the building. “Hello?” 

She stepped out of the shadows, wearing that gorgeous blue dress from the gala. “Hi.” 

“Pepper?” He was dumbfounded. “What’s going on?” 

“As I said, the meeting is to discuss a change in status.” She came over and took his hands. “I remember everything about that night, Tony.” Pepper was looking up at him, the moonlight shining through her hair onto her cheek. “What it felt like to dance with you, to be alone with you and standing so close. To anticipate what the next moment was bringing, and to both want and welcome it.” 

She let go his hands and stepped away to lean against the railing, facing away from him. “But with everything that happened since then -- Stane, you and Rhodey, the company -- there wasn’t time to think about what I wanted. No time to worry about a missed opportunity.”

“What about now?” Even though he was fairly sure he knew the answer, he still had to ask; standing close behind her, but not quite daring to touch. 

She turned back around with a brilliant smile. “Now I’m finally taking the time.” She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him. Softly, but with assurance and intent. He was too surprised to do more than let her lead for a moment before responding in kind. 

She broke off the kiss, her intense gaze capturing every bit of his attention. “But I’m still going to worry, Tony. I worry that you’re going to put that flashy, fantastic suit of armor back on and fly halfway across the world again to try to right the wrongs you think you created.” She rested a hand on his chest, right above the reactor. “I’d be so proud of you, but so afraid that you might not come back. I wouldn’t want you to go; but I know you too well to ask you not to.” 

Tony took her hand and kissed the back of it it gently. “You do know me, Pep. You know all about me and my secrets -- right down to my social security number which I think has a 5 in it somewhere.” She laughed softly as he continued, ”I want to tell you you’re making an awful mistake, but I’m too damn selfish.” He turned her hand over. “I mean, look. I’ve gotten your hand all filthy. And probably your dress, too.” 

The tender look on her face turned devilishly flirtatious. “Don’t worry - I figured it was going to end up tossed in a heap on your bedroom floor anyways. You can always buy me another one.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tony discovers his arc reactor is slowly poisoning him, he makes some rash decisions; but the chaos that results isn't all his fault. In the aftermath, Tony ends up in New York City without Pepper. Agent Coulson is the bearer of bad news and Tony teams up with a former SI associate, a friend of his father's, a fellow scientist and a demi-god to save New York City (and the world). With Tony Stark and Steve Rogers the only Avengers left in the city, they are asked to attend a fundraising gala for post-Battle of New York cleanup efforts.

The next several months that Tony spent with Pepper at his side, reshaping the course of Stark Industries were wonderful... until they weren’t. It started with Tony discovering that his greatest creation was slowly poisoning him. He’d made a few questionable decisions at that point, he could admit that now, though appointing Pepper as CEO of Stark Industries hadn’t been one of them. The racecar and the birthday party, well, they were perhaps less justifiable. As for Miss Natalie Rushman and the mindfuck that had turned out to be? The less time dwelt on that, the better. 

And then the son of the former business partner his father had screwed over popped up out of nowhere to attempt what the palladium was already doing a fine job of. Tony took the guy down and had him locked up, only to have Justin Fucking Hammer spring him to assist in a nefarious scheme. Said scheme resulted in Hammer’s drones going berserk at the Expo and Tony and Rhodey (in the 'borrowed' and tinkered-with Mark II armor) being the last and only line of defense. Sure, the battle had done millions of dollars’ worth of damage, and caused injuries to entirely too many innocent bystanders; but only a single life had been lost, and it damn well hadn’t been innocent. 

 

There was plenty of fallout from the wholesale destruction of the Expo, but perhaps the worst was it being the final straw on the back of the camel that was his and Pepper’s relationship. When she said she couldn’t handle the stress, and that she quit, Tony talked her down, even as he realized that he had to let her go. He loved her, of course he did. But Pepper deserved better than him He’d known that all along. And that kiss on the rooftop (what was it about the two of them and high places anyways?) turned out to be a long kiss goodbye. 

Pepper kept her role as Stark Industries CEO; the Board didn’t need to be involved in their personal lives. Despite his hasty renovation of the workshop to create a new goddamned element to save his own semi-worthless carcass (thanks for the hint, Dad), Tony ceded the Malibu mansion to Pepper. It held too many painful memories, so he headed back to New York City. The cars and equipment he had shipped from the west coast; but as for the suits and the ‘bots, they traveled on the jet with him. 

He’d had to partially dismantle Dum-E and U to get them into the cargo hold; they were excited to wake up in a brand new place. The suits rode in the cabin, snugly belted in. Tony had startled the hell out of the flight attendant when he popped the faceplate of the Mark VI and asked for a scotch and soda before takeoff. 

Tony joked with Pepper that they had split custody of Happy; he followed Tony to New York, but once the first cold snap hit, Hogan complained so much that Tony shipped him back out to California. But he called Tony regularly to catch him up on Downton Abbey over the winter months and, like the swallows to Capistrano, Happy flew back cross country the end of March, swearing that Los Angelinos just can’t get pizza right. 

Pepper came to New York regularly for SI business as well, and they usually had dinner together, carefully rebuilding their friendship. She’d made a point of being there for Stark Tower’s final conversion to self-sufficiency, the irony of which was not lost on him. They had just popped the cork on a very nice bottle of champagne when Agent Coulson, brought news that dragged both Tony Stark and Iron Man into one hell of a mess. The next thing Tony knew, he was in the armor and off to Germany to face off against a so-called Norse god and meet up with an old friend of his father’s, Captain America. 

Looking back on the events that brought the Avengers together, Tony still didn’t understand how he and Rogers had gotten off on the wrong foot so quickly. A lot of it could be blamed on the influence of the scepter, he supposed, and yeah - there might have been just a little resentment on his part for the way Howard had continually held Captain America up as a standard, an unattainable ideal. 

However, Cap had given as good as he’d gotten during their first few encounters, which made Tony wonder what he’d already heard, and from whom. “I’ve seen the footage,” Rogers had said. Tony had to admit there was plenty of video out there that made him look like a self-centered ass more concerned with his next good time than the welfare of others. Even the coverage of Gulmira could be seen as a display of egomaniacal revenge. And if Fury had given Rogers Romanoff’s initial evaluation, well, no wonder Cap had such a low opinion of Tony Stark. 

But then there was the awkward, half-mumbled apology over shawarma; and even before that, the look Cap gave him after the Hulk shocked him back to consciousness wasn’t the way you look at someone you think is pretending to be a hero. 

Of course, Tony hadn’t flown the nuke through the portal to prove something to Captain America. He’d done it because it had to be done, and he was the only one that could do it. Rogers’ opinion -- good or bad -- was the last thing on his mind at that moment. Pepper on the other hand... Tony had wanted to say goodbye, and to tell her that he still loved her. When she didn’t answer, it had hurt a lot more than he’d expected it to, even when she tearfully explained what had happened. 

But now, Tony couldn’t get Rogers out of his thoughts. After all, they were the last two members of the World’s Mightiest Heroes still to be found in the city. After Thor and Loki took the Tesseract back home to Valhalla or wherever, Barton had claimed to have business out of town, and Romanoff had followed. There was obviously some connection between those two, but Tony had neither the time nor the energy to bother following up. Her deception still stung, even if it had been for what Fury would call the ‘greater good’. It was going to take a while before Tony could even think about trusting Romanoff again. 

Tony tried bribing Banner to stick around, offering him his own lab setup in the Tower. He said he’d think about it, but he had some loose ends to wrap in Calcutta first. Fury had limped the helicarrier back to its secret lair, taking Hill with him. And then there was Coulson, who had paid the ultimate price. Tony had come to admire the man over the course of their interactions; there had obviously been a lot more to the unassuming Agent than he had ever realized. 

“JARVIS? Put a watch on the news outlets for a memorial service for Phil Coulson. Both here and in DC. If you see something, make sure to put it on my schedule. Top priority.”

“Yes, sir. Miss Potts is calling.” 

“Put her on, J.” Time to get back in the swing of things, Tony thought. “Hey, Pep. How’s my favorite baroness of industry doing?” 

“Drowning in press conferences in the moment. I’m coordinating with the PR department at SHIELD. They’re wanting to partner with the Maria Stark Charitable Foundation to hold a fundraising gala for cleanup efforts here in the city. They said Captain Rogers would be attending and I told them that Mr. Stark would be happy to as well.” 

“Aw, Pepper, that sounds like a terrible idea.” Having to schmooze and gladhand was never high on his lists of ways to spend his free time, but Tony thought it would be particularly painful on this occasion. “I mean, what are we supposed to say? ‘Hi - we’re part of the team that destroyed ten square blocks of Midtown. Wanna give us some money to help fix it back up?’” 

“The Avengers saved the city. And you doubly so, Tony. If you hadn’t flown that nuclear missile up into--” 

“Ixnay on the uke-nay, Pep,” Tony cautioned her, as she wasn’t supposed to have known what its payload had been and he couldn’t be sure they had a secure connection. “What happened was exactly according to the plan. Iron Man just gave the missile a bit of a boost.” 

“Hmph. Whatever you say.” He didn’t even have to see her face to imagine the little ‘I want’ lines that were forming between her beautifully sculpted eyebrows. “So now it’s time for you and Steve to give the city’s morale a bit of a boost by making a public appearance.” Damn, he’d left her a hell of an opening there. 

“Wait a minute. Since when is Rogers ‘Steve’ to you?” 

“Since Maria Hill introduced us, and we went out to lunch about a week ago, the three of us. Nick couldn’t make it.” Tony had always claimed that Pepper’s superpower was her ability to network; of course she was on a first name basis with the director of SHIELD and his second in command. 

“I’ve been outmaneuvered, haven’t I? Does the dying man at least get a last request?” 

“I suppose, if it’s reasonable,” she teased in reply. 

“Let me take Rogers to my tailor. Otherwise who knows what he’ll show up in.” 

“We talked about it already -- he’s wearing his uniform.” 

“Good lord, no! Not that red, white, and blue monstrosity!” Tony replied in not-quite-mock-horror. 

He heard a huff of frustration. “No, his army uniform. He’ll look quite handsome in dress blues.” 

“Is it kosher for him to even wear that anymore? After all, he did go AWOL for a damn long time.” Tony wasn’t sure where all this snark was coming from; but better said to Pepper than to Rogers himself. 

“Tony, quit being so awful. Maria’s taking care of it.” 

“Fine. How’s he getting to the gala?” 

“I hadn’t given that any thought,” Pepper admitted.

“I’ll send a car. It wouldn’t do for Captain America to step out out the back of a cab, or ride up on his Harley.” A remarkably distracting image of Rogers swinging his leg over his bike and revving the engine suddenly came to Tony’s mind. 

“Whatever makes you happy, Tony.” She paused. “And why are you suddenly concerned about Steve's welfare? I heard you two were practically at each other’s throats on the helicarrier.” 

“So Hill’s a terrible gossip as well as deputy director of SHIELD. I’ll keep that in mind. Anything else, my queen?” 

“I do have some R&D figures to go over with you, now that you mention it.” 

 

Pepper had given him Rogers’ contact information, so Tony called the day before to confirm what time to send a car over to pick Cap up. Not surprisingly, he wanted to arrive early, so Tony made the command decision to ride along with Hogan to save having to double back to the Tower. 

It looked as if SHIELD had found an apartment for Rogers not too far from where he grew up. And while much of the northwestern side of the borough had been gentrified, it seemed to Tony that somehow this particular few square blocks had gotten skipped. It wasn’t a bad neighborhood, from what he could tell, just an outdated, run-down one. 

Tony pressed the buzzer labeled ‘Rogers’ and the door clicked open almost immediately. The apartment building was at least as old as Cap was, but not nearly as well-maintained. The four story climb left Tony a bit short of breath, and the nearly threadbare carpet and scuffed and peeling paint on the hallway walls didn’t improve his impression of the surroundings. He used the old ‘shave and a haircut’ knock on Rogers’ door, savoring the look of shock on his teammate’s face. 

“Tony? What are you doing here?” Rogers exclaimed. Pepper was right, the dress uniform worked very well for him and Tony found it a challenge to tear his eyes away. 

“Toldja I was sending a car to pick you up,” Tony replied. “My driver had to stay with the limo, since it’s double parked. If I’d realized I had to climb four flights, I would have switched him places.” 

“Uh, okay.... I’m almost ready. I need to double check these,” Rogers gestured to the medals and ribbons on his jacket, stepping back from the door. “C’mon in.” 

Tony followed him. “The fruit salad? Yeah - you wanna make sure that’s arranged just right. Generals tend to get picky about stuff like that.” 

Rogers made a small huff of laughter. “ ‘Fruit salad’?” 

“Alas, I cannot claim that particular witticism as my own.” Tony inspected the apartment. It was obviously pre-furnished; a mish-mash of styles with several pieces having seen better days. But it hardly looked as if anyone lived there; the only signs of life a bowl of fruit on the small table and a sketchbook resting on the sofa. Two doors led off the combination living area and kitchenette; presumably a bedroom and a bathroom. Rogers was leaning over, looking into a mirror hung just about a foot too low, adjusting his uniform. 

“Is this really the best that SHIELD could do for you, Cap?” Tony asked, gesturing at their dreary surroundings and trying very hard not to stare at his teammate’s ... ahem... assets. 

Rogers stood back up and glanced around, then shrugged. “It’s a damn sight better than the places I grew up in, Stark. Besides, beggars can’t be choosers.” 

“Oh no,” Tony retorted. “You, Rogers, are no beggar.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “JARVIS? Have an intern in the Accounting Department calculate what seventy years’ worth of back pay for a World War Two army captain should be, including compound interest at the prevailing rates. Have them send that over to the Legal Department to draft a friendly letter to the DoD suggesting that they shake loose at least, say 25% of that amount and immediately open an account in the name of Steven Grant Rogers. I’m sure they have his social security number or military ID on file somewhere over there.” 

“Tony, what do you think you’re doing?” The confused, disbelieving look on Rogers’ face was almost comical. 

“Getting you what you deserve. I still have some pull over at the Pentagon, even if I won’t share my toys. Let’s get you moving on up to a dee-luxe apartment in the sky. Hey, there’s an idea - why don’t you move into the Tower? There’s some residential space that hasn’t been spoken for yet. I bet the landlord would cut you a deal.” He winked. 

“We better get going, Stark,” Rogers replied curtly, grabbing the keys sitting in on the table next to the door. “Don’t want to be late.” Tony blinked in surprise at Rogers’ sudden about face and followed him down the stairs without a word. 

“Rogers, this is Harold Hogan, my driver, bodyguard and all around manservant. Hap, this is Steve Rogers, but he plays Captain America on TV. Don’t mind the sour face, Cap. Hogan’s ball team is apparently in a hell of a slump.” 

“Who ya rootin’ for?” Rogers asked, and that opened the floodgate of sports talk that took them all the way across the bridge back to midtown. Tony didn’t mind, as it gave him a chance to sit back and observe. He’d seen Captain America in action, but this was Steve Rogers, just a regular guy shooting the shit about something he enjoyed. Tony heard a slight note of Cap’s old Brooklyn accent coming out, and he found it unexpectedly charming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of ground covered here - _Iron Man 2_ and _The Avengers_. But now we're all caught up and Tony and Steve are starting to interact.
> 
> FYI - Tony's "Ixnay on the uke-nay" is Pig Latin for "nix on the nuke" - See http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-ixn1.htm for more info. I figure Tony picked up the slang either from his father or The Three Stooges (or both).


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Steve attend the fundraising gala; afterwards, they get some burgers in the limo and have a surprisingly in-depth conversation. Tony checks in on the renovation work at the Tower and gets some interesting voicemail.

As their limo joined the queue of vehicles dropping off the gala invitees, Tony donned a pair of sunglasses. “Time to run the gauntlet. Repeat after me, Cap: ‘No comment, no comment, no comment.’ Once we’re inside, we should be good. Pepper vetted the guest list and doesn’t expect any nasty surprises.” 

Rogers gave him a withering look. “This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with the press, Stark. There was that whole USO tour rigmarole, and then the newsreel guys overseas were always wanting pieces with Captain America.” 

“That may be true, but they’ve gotten a lot more vicious while you were on ice. Mister Hogan, we who are about to die salute you.” 

“See you in a few hours, Boss.” Hogan stopped the car, got out and opened the door for them. Sure enough, the sidewalk was packed shoulder to shoulder, with a score of cameras pointed right at them, dozens of voices clamoring for a bit of attention. 

They were almost to the doors when someone set Rogers off. Tony hadn’t even heard what the question was, just Cap’s reply: “What, did you have your head up your ass when Iron Man steered that missile into the portal? He damn near died and you’re blaming him for not doing more? Listen, you little pissant ...” 

Tony grabbed Rogers’ arm and hauled him through the doors and away from whoever had riled him up. “Okay, cool your jets, Cap. Thanks for the vote of support and all, but that was pretty much the complete opposite of ‘No comment’. In fact it was very much a comment and is likely to be splashed all over the headlines tomorrow. By the way, did you kiss Agent Carter with that mouth?” 

“Only once,” he replied, brusquely pulling his arm away from Tony’s hand as the muscles in his jaw rippled with repressed emotion. 

“I’m sorry," Tony apologized. "Spoke before I thought -- one of my many vices.” It was easy to forget that what was so many decades ago for everyone else was mere weeks in the past for the man standing in front of him. Tony could only imagine the loss Rogers must be feeling. 

They stood there, just looking at each other for a moment, before one of the organizers came over to introduce herself and explain the game plan for the evening. She handed each of them note cards with a few words to say to the crowd, but their main job was to mingle with the attendees and encourage a little purse and wallet-loosening. There would be a few roving photographers with a structured photo opportunity at the end of the evening. 

After the introductions and the aforesaid ‘few words’, Tony went on autopilot for the next few hours -- letting his mind wander as he made brainless small talk. And while he found his eyes straying to Rogers on and off throughout the night, he wasn’t following Cap around the room all stalker-like. No, of course not. It was a total coincidence that he was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the balcony while Rogers was out there, chatting with various and sundry military bigwigs. Tony was caught off guard to see General Ross among them, offering Rogers a cigar; which of course, Cap declined. 

Pepper had been correct; the good captain looked damn handsome in his dress blues -- although Tony personally preferred the Eisenhower jacket styling of the World War II era Army uniform and the way it accentuated the frankly ridiculous shoulder to waist ratio Rogers had going on. For that matter, the Captain America costume didn’t leave a lot to the imagination, as far as that went. 

“Mr. Stark? Can we get a few photos with you and Captain Rogers to top off the evening?” Ah yes, the obligatory photo op. Cheeks already aching from the smile he’d kept plastered on his face for most of the night, Tony still managed to put on a show for the camera. Rogers seemed to be flagging as well, but played along with the request. Thankfully, Happy had sent a text to meet him in the underground garage, so they didn’t have to face the media vultures once again. 

Tony sagged with relief into the back seat of the limo, then reached for a bottle. After Rogers’ startling outburst at the top of the evening, Tony had chosen to stay mostly sober throughout the gala and now wanted desperately to make up for lost time. “Can I offer you anything, Cap?” 

Rogers shook his head. “Booze doesn’t do anything for me anymore, and I never really cared for the taste.” 

“Don’t drink, don’t smoke, what do you do?’” Tony sing-songed under his breath. 

“Pardon?” The subtle innuendo was clearly lost on Rogers; it was Tony’s turn to shake his head.

“Nothing. You’ll learn to tune out my nonsense eventually.” There was a sudden muffled growling sound from Rogers’ stomach, and he blushed a dull red. “I figured those delicate little party nibbles wouldn’t put much of a dent in your revved up metabolism. Hap, let’s show the good Captain where to find the best cheeseburgers in the Five Boroughs.” 

“I’m on it.” 

After several fingers of a lovely, smoky scotch, Tony was feeling mellow enough to start a conversation with his fellow passenger, who had lapsed into silence after checking the ballgame scores with Hogan. 

“So, Rogers, what did they tell you about this?” Tony tapped one of his shirt studs against the casing of the arc reactor, making a clicking noise.

“The machine in your chest? That you designed it as a replacement for an electromagnet that was keeping shrapnel from entering your heart,” Rogers responded as if answering a question on a test. “The shrapnel was from when a terrorist group attacked a military convoy and kidnapped you. You built your first Iron Man suit so you could escape.” 

“Wasn’t supposed to just be me escaping, Cap.” Tony found himself replying. “They were also holding a brilliant scientist and surgeon hostage: Ho Yinsen. He performed the emergency surgery that saved my life in that cold, filthy cave. He helped me build the armor and straight-out lied to the terrorists about what we were doing without showing a trace of fear. He told me as we made our plans that he was looking forward to seeing his family again. I didn’t know they were already dead; killed by the same men who held us captive. I made it out of that cave -- but I left a lot behind.” 

Rogers looked a little stunned at the outpouring of words. He wasn’t the only one; Tony hadn’t intended to to delve so deeply into his personal story so quickly. But he wanted, no, needed his teammate to know that he was more than that piece of paper in his file that contained Romanoff’s evaluation, that ‘genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist’ was a glib catchphrase he’d reeled off in self-defense. That he had lost people that he'd sworn to protect. 

“Yinsen sounds a lot like Doctor Erskine,” Rogers replied after a few moments of contemplative silence. “Did Howard ever tell you about him?” 

“Yeah, a little. But I heard more from Aunt Peggy.” At Rogers’ look of confusion, Tony hurried to explain. “No, Carter wasn’t actually my aunt; it was a title of respect. She came around the house when I was growing up to meet with Howard about SHIELD stuff. Sometimes she told me stories about Project Rebirth. Dad was all about the technology and the equipment; she talked more about the people involved. And yeah, now that I think of it, Yinsen and Erskine would probably have gotten along well.” 

“What kind of stories did Peggy tell?” Rogers looked steadfastly out the window as he asked. 

“Oh, it was all suitable for young ears.” Tony responded, trying to lighten the tone. “Dad went on and on about Captain America, but she told me about scrappy little Steve Rogers knocking down the flagpole and jumping on the dummy grenade. Stuff like that.”

“Did she ever say anything about fondue?” There was an embarrassed note in his question and Tony knew exactly why. 

“No, that was one of Dad’s favorite stories, though he was smart enough never to tell it in her presence.” That got a small chuckle, and Tony counted it a victory. 

“She’s... still alive, isn’t she.” It wasn’t a question, and he was looking out the window again. 

“Yes, Peggy's in a memory care facility in Washington DC, since she has family in the area. I went to see her a few months ago, and well, let’s say she gets confused easily sometimes. At one point, I think she thought I was my father.” That had been difficult, but he hadn’t argued with her, even when she scolded him about fighting with Pym again.

“What about the Commandos?” 

“They all made it home after the war. Dugan and a few others stayed on with the SSR as it morphed into SHIELD. There were a few reunion weekends out at my parents’ beach house when I was a kid. I’m not sure who’s still around now.” 

And on that less-than-cheerful note, they pulled into the tiny parking lot of the burger shack and Hogan lowered the privacy screen. “What’s your order, gentlemen?” 

“Two all the way for me, an order of onion rings and plenty of napkins. How about you, Cap?” 

“Uh, the same, I guess.” 

“Add two double burgers to that order,” Tony put in. “I’ve seen the way he eats. Anything to drink?” 

Rogers shook his head, “Soft drinks don’t taste the way they used to.” Tony made a mental note to have a case of Mexican Coca-Cola sent to his apartment, and when Rogers reached for his wallet, Tony waved him off. 

“I dragged you all the way out here, so it’s my treat.” He passed some cash to Hogan, who hopped out and got in line. It didn’t take long for him to come back with two bags of food. He pulled out his own order, then passed it through the window. 

Tony tucked a handful of napkins into his collar, unwrapped one of his burgers and took a big bite. Raw onion, crisp dill pickles, lettuce and tomatoes piled high, with ketchup, mustard and mayo generously slathered on. They were an absolute mess, but so, so delicious. He might regret this in a few hours but by god, it was worth it. Rogers dug into his meal with gusto as well. 

After disposing of their trash and opening the sunroof to get some fresh air, Hogan got them back on the road. “You know, after the Hulk and Loki’s impromptu redecorating, I decided to make some changes at the Tower,” Tony said. “Figured it might be a good idea to have a clubhouse of our own, a base of operations that doesn’t depend on a helicarrier being handy, or the good graces of jolly old Saint Nick, for that matter.” 

“Fury’s the director of SHIELD and deserves respect,” Rogers argued. 

“He’s the king of spies and certainly doesn’t share all that he knows; those Phase 2 weapons being a prime example. He’s not the only one - ask Romanoff about Natalie Rushman sometime. I’d love to hear her side of the story.” 

Rogers shrugged in acceptance. “It’s your building, Tony. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have some sort of command post.” 

“Then it’s agreed. And there will be living space for anyone on the team who needs a place to bunk while we’re saving the world. Nice, modern, spacious apartments with working elevators, quiet neighbors and hot water for days. You’d get first dibs.” That got Tony a raised eyebrow in reply. 

“I appreciate the offer, but I can get by fine on my own.” 

“I get that, Cap. You’re talking to the poster child for stubborn self-sufficiency. But if we’re supposed to be a team, then you don’t have to be on your own. Promise me you’ll think about it?” Tony flashed Rogers his most charming grin, and got back a half-smile in return. 

“You just don’t give up, do you, Tony?” 

“Persistence is one of my core personality traits.” Tony then proceeded to pick Rogers’ brain about what an ideal Avengers HQ should consist of, and before they knew it, they were back in Brooklyn. 

“Thanks for the ride, and for dinner, Tony. See you around.” Steve smiled and clapped Tony on the shoulder as he exited the limo.

 

‘Fast, Good, Cheap: Pick Two’ Tony was all too familiar with that adage, as it applied to just about any project with an end product, whether it be computer code, a ballistic missile, or a remodel of a skyscraper. He needed good, and he needed fast, so to hell with cheap. 

The penthouse floors of Stark Tower had originally been planned as Tony and Pepper’s luxury apartment. Tony had been rattling around that part of the Tower since their breakup and was thankful to have an excuse to put the space to good use. The party deck was redesigned to be the Avengers Command Center, since it included the Iron Man landing gantry, while the other levels would be remodeled into high security suites with full access to (and by) JARVIS. 

The home theater became Mission Control, with multiple screens to display briefings and intel, while the main living area became a recreational space. Tony couldn’t bring himself to tear out the custom kitchen Pepper had spent so much time designing. Communal meals were a team-building thing, right? The construction team had already completed the main floor remodel and Tony’s top floor suite. He was pleased to see that the second suite had just passed inspection. Tony signed off on the updated schedule -- which held off on the remaining suite remodels until he heard back from the rest of the team -- and headed back down the elevator to the Stark Industries’ offices. 

After a morning of interminable business meetings, Tony checked his phone to see he had a voicemail from ‘Cap’n Spangles’. Okay, so maybe he should change Rogers’ contact info to something slightly more dignified. He put it on speaker and pressed play. 

“Uh, hi, Tony. This is Steve. Steve Rogers. I was calling to apologize. I honestly thought you were pulling my leg with that ‘back pay’ nonsense the other day, but I just got a bank statement in the mail, as well as a letter from the Secretary of Defense himself thanking me for my service. Bucky always said that having a little folding green in your pocket makes all the difference in your outlook, and he was right. Thank you for your help. And thanks for the Coca-Cola as well. It tastes just like I remember. Like a bit of home.” 

The next voicemail was from Rhodey, letting Tony know that he’d be in the city in a couple of weeks and to plan on ‘catching me up on all the shit that went down with those aliens’. Tony suspected Rhodey still felt a little put out that he hadn’t been on Fury’s list; god knows he’d have been a welcome ally during the battle. The third voicemail was from Doctor Streiten’s office, and they wanted to talk to him right away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After receiving some life-altering news from Doctor Streiten, Tony decides to give his teammate some warning and reveal his omega status. Steve's reaction is ... unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were starting to wonder when the a/b/o dynamics were going to kick back in, wonder no more. However, the events that triggered the "eventual smut" tag are still a ways away.

“So, you’re sure? Yes, I see. Well, I appreciate you getting back to me so quickly. Yes, I think I know what to expect. I would still like to talk to Doctor Streiten. Please have him give me a call when he gets back. Thank you.” Tony ended the call and threw the phone across the room with a few choice expletives. 

It had been a week since that first voicemail from the doctor’s office. A week filled with difficult news. The endocrinologist that had been brought in for a second opinion had confirmed that the test readings were accurate and that all existing pharmaceutical options had already been tried. Tony had broached the subject of surgery, only to have both doctors recommend strongly against it, due to the arc reactor. And now Streiten was apparently off on vacation in Tahiti or something. 

The final and permanent failure of the suppressants boiled down to a combination of factors: the length of time Tony had been on them, the high stress levels he’d been subjected to over the past year (superheroing was definitely not a vocation for the faint of heart) and the palladium poisoning. To say the least of the effects on the immune system of having a foreign body permanently lodged in one’s chest. Being a medical anomaly sucked. 

It sucked even more now that he had an alpha as a roommate. Well, not exactly a roommate, but Tony had talked Steve into taking one of the newly-remodeled suites at the top of the tower, successfully arguing that there was both more privacy and better security at the Tower versus Steve’s apartment. Once word had got out that Captain America was living in Brooklyn, both paparazzi and fans (some more stalkery than others) had started hounding his every move. 

And while Tony had his own suite, he found himself spending more nights than not on an old sofa in his workshop in the basement of the Tower. It was from the comfort of that sofa that he called Rogers. 

“Hey, Cap, it’s Tony. Do you have a few minutes?” 

“Sure. What’s up?” Rogers sounded genuinely interested in what Tony had to say; which of course was going to make this all the more difficult. At least it wasn’t face to face. 

“So, since we’re teammates and living in the same building and all, I thought you should know something.” Tony took a deep breath, as if he were getting ready to tear off a bandage. “I’m an omega. Kept it under wraps because of dear old Dad and then, well, just because. I’ve been on medication since I presented to make me appear normal, but--” 

Rogers broke in. “I know.”

“Wait, what?” 

“I know,” he repeated. “After you fell from the portal, and the Hulk startled you back to consciousness. I could sense it then. I honestly thought I was just imagining it, since it was only that one time.” Which made perfect sense; the stress pheromones had been raging through his body; held in check by the suit until Thor tore off the faceplate. Rogers’ own system had probably in overdrive as well. 

“But then Fury brought it up when I told him I was moving into the Tower,” Rogers continued. 

And that was a bitter reminder that Fury’s knowledge of Tony’s status had most likely fed right into the ‘not recommended’ evaluation, because of course you can’t depend on an omega to hold up under pressure. 

“What did Old One Eye have to say about the situation?” Tony asked through gritted teeth. 

“He wanted to know if it was going to be a problem, both living and working with an omega. I replied that, as opposed to the novels and movies which portray us as being unable to think straight around each other, alphas and omegas are not slaves to our hormones.” Rogers’ voice was steady, but there was restrained anger behind it. “Then I said that I was surprised he was that ignorant and narrow-minded. I told Fury I was sure you and I could continue to work together as successfully as we did during the battle. And lastly, that it wouldn’t be the first time I’d had an omega as a team mate.” 

Tony had figured the Captain would be like Howard and Obie with their conservative, traditional approach to the alpha/omega dynamic. He hadn’t thought about how pre-serum Steve Rogers surely knew what it was like to be judged on something you had no control over and have assumptions made before you ever had a chance to prove yourself. Maybe this situation wasn’t going to be as difficult as he thought. 

But then Rogers’ last sentence sunk in. “Hold on there, Cap, you mean one of the Howlies was an omega?” Tony exclaimed. “Definitely not Aunt Peggy; she would have said something when I presented. So who was it? Morita? Falsworth?” 

“That’s not important now, Tony. What were you saying about medication?” 

Tony been so distracted by Rogers’ revelation he’d almost forgotten the whole reason he’d brought the topic up in the first place. 

“So, there’s these chemical suppressants that mask the symptoms and pretty much cancel out the omega cycle. Like I said, I’ve been on them for a long time.”

“Huh... so that explains it. We didn’t have anything like that, I mean, there were home remedies, but they were hit or miss. So, wait, does that mean you’ve never...uh...?” Rogers’ sudden stutter of embarrassment caught Tony by surprise. 

“Not exactly,” Tony hedged, not ready to lay his past bare. “I’ve had, let’s say... a couple of encounters, so I figured a heads up was in order to avoid a similar awkward and uncomfortable situation.” Stone only sort of counted, and the... whatever it was with Rhodey -- well, Tony refused to regret it, but knew it couldn’t ever be repeated either. 

“What do you mean, you’re giving me a ‘heads up’?” Steve still didn’t seem to understand the direction Tony was heading with the conversation. Fair enough, Tony knew his thought processes were usually a few steps ahead of his own mouth. 

Long story short, Cap, the suppressants don’t work for me anymore. According to the doctors, I’ve got a doozy of a heat heading my way.” Tony had already been feeling the restlessness that preceded his cycle, and while there had only been a twinge or two so far, it was only a matter of time. 

“Oh. And you think ...” Rogers stated, finally putting two and two together. 

“Exactly. So I’d suggest you do a bit of travelling for a week or so. You could take the train down to DC -- check out the museums, maybe see Peggy.”

“I’m not ready for that,” Rogers replied quietly. “Not if she’s as bad off as you said.” 

“Oh, right. I keep forgetting it’s only been a month or so for you, Cap.” 

“Less than that. I was back in the world for less than two weeks before Fury gave me the mission to go deal with Loki.” 

“Jesus.” Rogers had it tougher than Tony had thought. “Okay, don’t worry about it. I’ll ... I dunno... lock myself in my workshop or something. Separate HVAC system, separate entrance so the take out delivery folks can do their thing. I’ll be fine.” 

“I seem to remember you saying something about us not having to be on our own anymore, Tony.” Rogers’ voice had gone oddly gentle. “Like I said, this isn’t the first time I’ve had an omega for a teammate ... or a friend. I helped Bucky get through his cycle more than once. Maybe I could--” 

“Okay. Gonna stop you right there, Rogers," Tony interrupted, his head spinning by the multi-layered revelation Rogers had so casually dropped. "So... yeah. We can talk again later. Tomorrow, maybe. Bye.” 

Tony hung up, not quite believing what he'd heard. Not only was his mind completely blown by the news that James Buchanan Barnes, the Howling Commandos’ crack sniper and resident lady-killer had been an omega, but that Captain America had been his buddy's alpha and therefore at least a bit bisexual? Tony firmly clamped down on that thought, but even then, there was a flicker of arousal. Things had just gotten perhaps a bit better, but also so, so much worse. 

 

A few hours later, Tony was pacing through his workshop like a tiger in a cage; a low level jittery sensation forcing him to keep moving. The thought of Rogers and Barnes together, well, that had just kicked his system up a notch or two towards full blown heat. Tony had started tinkering with on one of his many projects, but couldn't stay focused. That was dangerous: a moment of inattention with the kind of equipment he was using was a recipe for disaster. Dum-E was snoozing in the charging station, but U was on duty, fire extinguisher in claw, following Tony’s every move. 

“Not dealing with that kind of heat, you hunk of junk.” Tony had been alternating between ‘too cold’ and ‘too hot’ all evening and wasn’t sure if U was actually detecting a body temperature change or just responding to his erratic behavior. Both ‘bots were surprisingly empathetic and Tony wished he knew how he’d managed to code that element of their programming. 

A moving shadow beyond the translucent smartglass of the workshop’s front wall caught Tony’s attention. He’d as much as told Rogers he wanted to be left alone. But the figure only stopped briefly at the door, bent down to place something on the floor, and then went back upstairs. 

“Hey, J - what’s Tall, Blond, and Patriotic up to?” 

“It seems Captain Rogers has left a few items for you, Sir.” 

Tony’s curiosity was sufficiently piqued and he opened the door. There was a tray with a plate covered in aluminum foil, an insulated carafe and mug, and a note. Next to the tray was a large paper bag. Tony picked up the tray and carried it over to a mostly-empty benchtop. The bag was oddly light for its size; he looked inside to see something fuzzy and colorful. 

After the Battle of New York, the public clamored for any and everything Avengers-related. Pepper -- being the smart cookie she was -- had the SI Legal Department draw up a licensing agreement template. A small family-owned textile mill in Massachusetts got the rights to produce soft goods, with their first item being fleece blankets featuring logos for each of the Avengers. This must have been one of the first samples they’d sent over, and as he unfolded the wonderfully soft blanket, the concentric circles of Cap’s shield emerged. 

The note read: “Bucky’s sweet tooth revved up during his time and he’d get cold easy. Thought maybe these would help. -- SGR” Tony removed the foil to see a plateful of chocolate chip cookies. And the carafe contained not coffee, but hot cocoa. This... this was unexpected. Not unwelcome, certainly not, but he was afraid to read too much into it. 

And as if on cue, a sudden chill crept up over Tony. So he wrapped the blanket around him as he sat down on the sofa and had a bit of a snack. The blanket smelled faintly of something outdoorsy and green, like new mown grass or the shade beneath a tree. He’d have to ask Steve what fabric softener he used. The cookies were delicious, and the hot cocoa tasted amazing, with just a hint of coffee, as well as a good dash of cinnamon and perhaps nutmeg. It was creamy and chocolatey and gone practically before Tony realized it. 

But now he had a craving for something crunchy, something greasy. Like popcorn; the good stuff, pan-popped and smothered in real butter, not the dry, salty microwave crap. “JARVIS - any chance we have real popcorn kicking around the place?” 

“I believe there is a partial bag in the common kitchen pantry from the last time Colonel Rhodes visited.” That’s right, Rhodey was a stickler for doing movie night right. It had been a few months previous, but surely popcorn kernels didn’t go bad that quickly, did they? 

“Thanks, J.” 

“Shall I reduce the sensitivity of the smoke alarms in the kitchen for the next hour or so, sir? Perhaps U should accompany you?” 

“You think you’re funny, don’cha?” 

“I am as you programmed me, Sir.” Figures that his progeny would be just as much of a smartass as he was. 

Tony boarded the elevator to ascend to the shared living space. As the door opened, there was swing music playing. Tony was getting warm again, so he dropped the blanket on the sofa before looking around the corner for the source of the music. Steve was in the kitchen, mopping the floor and humming along, the sway of his hips almost hypnotic. 

“Cap?!” 

Steve startled, half-hiding the mop behind his back as he turned towards Tony. He had tucked a dishcloth into the waistband of his pants for an apron, and had a smudge of flour on one cheek. “Uh, hi,” he replied. “I’m afraid I made a bit of a mess while baking and figured I oughta clean it up.” 

“You made those cookies?” Tony didn’t mean it to come out so disbelievingly; but a statement like that required a bit of recalibration to his assumptions about his teammate. 

“Yeah. I took on kitchen duties from my ma when I was growing up. She worked so many hours and I was home sick a lot. The cookies were Mama Barnes’ special birthday recipe. Cheaper than cake and easier to share.” Despite the half-smile on his face, Steve’s eyes were distant, as if they were looking back across three-quarters of a century. “I’m almost done -- I’ll be out of your way soon,” he apologized, turning back to his work. 

“No, it’s okay. This is your place, too,” Tony replied, his surprise tempered by a sudden longing for companionship. “Thank you, by the way. The cookies were delicious.” 

“Yeah, they are. The recipe makes two dozen; and I’m afraid I polished the rest of them off.” Steve’s hangdog look, combined with the flour smudge and impromptu apron made it hard not to laugh, but Tony didn’t want to hurt his friend’s feelings. 

“That’s okay, I came up here because I got a sudden craving for popcorn,” Tony explained. “Something salty to balance out the sweet. Ana, our family cook, used to make it for me when I wasn’t feeling well. That and homemade chicken noodle soup, but that’s beyond my meager culinary talents.” 

“Funny you should mention popcorn, Tony. I was just getting ready to watch one of the movies off my list. Thought I’d take advantage of the larger screens down here. Want to join me?” 

Now, that was a dangerous question. “I appreciate the offer but I don’t know if it’s such a good idea.” Tony had detected something besides the odor of baked goods in the air. The blanket hadn’t smelled of fabric softener after all; it was Steve’s alpha scent. Here, in person, there was a woodsy tang added in that made Tony’s pulse race. He was sure Steve could smell him as well and he couldn’t help but tense up a little. 

“Tony. Listen to me.” Steve was using his Captain America voice; a tone both of command and of assurance. “I’m not sure what you meant earlier by having had awkward and uncomfortable experiences with alphas, but it doesn’t have to be like that.” He leaned the mop against the wall and untucked the towel, moving slowly as if he didn’t want to spook Tony. “Go ahead and make some popcorn. Then, if you want, we can watch a movie. I’ll be right back.” Steve went the long way around out of the kitchen and disappeared through the stairwell door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Steve watch a movie and make some progress with their friendship both that evening and the following morning.

In Steve’s absence, Tony focused on the task at hand. He found the oil, the popcorn and a large pot with a lid and got things started. He couldn’t let his mind wander, or the popcorn would burn. When the popping slowed, he tipped the fluffy kernels out into two large bowls. A quick zap of the butter in the microwave to melt it for drizzling over the top of each bowl. A few shakes of salt on each, with a sprinkle of parmesan on his. 

Tony carried the bowls out to the former main living area, where a living room set still sat in front the main video screen. Steve had returned with two bottles of Coke, which were sitting in front of him on the coffee table. Tony set one bowl down in front of Steve, then picked up a bottle and went to sit in one of the overstuffed chairs. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his teammate; Tony just needed a little space and a little time to think. 

“So, what flick are we watching, Cap?” 

“Something Coulson recommended. It’s called _Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid_.” 

“Good choice. I think you’ll enjoy it.” This was fine. Just two pals watching a movie together. Absolutely no sexual tension in the air at all. Nope. Everything was hunky dory. 

Except he couldn’t sit still. The restless, jittery feeling had sunk right down into in his bones. Tony kept tapping his ring against the glass Coke bottle, shuffling his feet or jiggling his leg, and probably distracting the hell out of Steve in the process. He couldn’t keep his mind on the film either, even though he really enjoyed the semi-true story of two outlaws on the run. The popcorn wasn’t even doing its job as comfort food, tasty thought it was. 

“Tony.” Steve’s voice broke him out out his reverie. “C’mere. Let’s try something to calm you down.” He patted the couch cushion next to him. Well, Tony thought, if he was going to rely on Captain America to have his back on the field, he supposed he could hang out on the same couch with the guy. 

Tony sat down stiffly, keeping plenty of empty space between the two of them. “Now what?” 

“Just sit here with me, to start with,” Steve explained. “Try matching my breathing. Bucky would do this with me when I had asthma attacks, and he said it helped him when he got antsy.” 

Tony had his doubts, but then again, what was the harm? So he followed Steve’s example with slow, deep breaths. And whereas Steve’s alpha scent had initially only aroused Tony, it was somehow soothing as well. But just as he started to relax, he noticed Steve’s own rigid posture. Tony had wanted to avoid this; Steve had already faced so much upheaval and turmoil that it wasn’t fair to put him through dealing with an omega’s squirrely behavior as well. 

So when Steve asked, “Can I touch you, Tony? Like, on your shoulder or back or something?” how could he say no? The contact was cautious at first, then Tony felt the weight of Steve’s warm, broad hand settle on his shoulder, fingers splayed wide. It wasn’t oppressive as he’d feared, but rather a comfort, settling the last of his jitters. And it seemed to have the same effect on Steve with the tenseness in his frame slowly falling away. 

“Is it just me, or does the Kid look like a younger version of Alexander Pierce?” Steve asked, drawing their focus back to the film. Pierce had been one of the many high muckety-mucks who had officially thanked the Avengers for saving the city of New York, the United States and quite probably the world. Tony had taken particular pleasure at seeing Senator Stern squirm as they shook hands. As for Pierce, Tony had first met the man when he was Undersecretary of Defense nearly two decades previous and there was a definite resemblance between him and Robert Redford.

“Nah, I see it too. Hey, funny story, Redford actually played you on a TV show about the time this movie came out. I think it ran for two seasons and was a spinoff of the radio series _The Captain America Adventure Program_. Oh, Aunt Peggy hated it with a passion! Cap’s love interest, Betty Carver, was a total damsel in distress.” 

“That's one thing Peg never was,” Steve chuckled. Tony noted with satisfaction that this was the first time he had mentioned Peggy without getting that distant, pining expression. It was going to take time, of course; but Steve deserved to find someone in the here and now he could care for. 

A sudden chill enveloped Tony, leaving him shivering in its wake. He reached for the blanket he’d tossed over the back of the couch; and as he covered himself, Tony caught a small, satisfied smile on Steve’s face. Once they got settled, Steve rested his hand once more on Tony’s shoulder. His fingers idly brushed across the soft fleece, causing a much more pleasant sensation to run up and down Tony’s spine. He was getting back into the plot of the movie -- Cassidy and the Kid had just jumped off the cliff -- when a massive cramp twisted his insides viciously. 

“Fuck!” he exclaimed, bending over double in pain. 

“Tony? What’s wrong -- oh.” Steve moved his hand down to rub Tony’s lower back, then pulled out the throw pillow that had been wedged between his leg and the side of the sofa and placed it on his lap. “Hey, why don’t you lay down here, on your side?” Tony followed Steve’s suggestion, resting his head on the pillow and curling up into a ball as another wave of pain coursed through his pelvis. 

“Shh... I know it hurts, but you’re gonna be alright. Just take nice, even breaths for me. That’s right... keep it up...” The calm words from his companion gave Tony something to concentrate on other than the pain. He felt Steve’s fingers start to card through his hair, but then suddenly withdraw.

“Damn. I’m sorry, Tony. Forgot where I was for a moment.” Up to that point, Tony had decided he’d likely jumped to the wrong conclusion earlier regarding Steve’s statement about ‘helping’ his pal through heats. Steve had probably offered some sort of platonic physical contact, like what they were doing now. It was only Tony’s fevered imagination that had led him to assume something more.

But the forlorn note in Steve’s voice made Tony think again. ‘Best friends since childhood ... inseparable on both the schoolyard and the battlefield’ -- perhaps that only scratched the surface of their relationship. Which would mean Steve was mourning the loss of a lover as well as a friend. 

“It’s okay, Steve,” Tony reassured him. “It felt nice. You can do it some more if you want.” If Steve's alpha nature was getting something out of the interaction, so much the better. Tony slowly relaxed, stifling a moan of relief when the cramp subsided. He really didn’t want Steve to stop what he was doing, one hand rubbing reassuring circles over his lower back, while the other stroked his hair. Tony let his eyes close for a moment or two, just to rest them for a bit. 

He awoke to find himself lying on his own bed, still fully clothed and with the fluffy shield blanket tucked around him. 

“JARVIS? How the hell did I get here?” He hadn’t been drinking, so he couldn’t blame it on a blackout. From the pinkish hue of the cracks of light coming through the curtains, it appeared to be morning. For once, Tony had managed to sleep nearly the entire night through without a nightmare. That hadn’t happened since the Chitauri invasion. 

“Once you fell asleep, Captain Rogers finished watching the movie. After asking me to allow him access to your suite, he carried you here and put you to bed.” Well, if that weren’t fucking embarrassing. 

“He’s a goddamned saint, isn’t he?” Tony grumbled. 

“At least, according to Doctor Erskine, a good man.” JARVIS replied dryly. 

“I am not dealing with your sass this morning, you overgrown Blackberry.” Tony stretched, feeling both the aftereffects of the cramp attack and a familiar, hollow ache. He was just about to pull his box of toys out from under the bed when there was a knock on the main door of his suite. 

“What the ... J?” 

“It’s Captain Rogers, and he appears to be somewhat agitated.” 

“Let him in.” Tony quickly crossed his bedroom and entered the living area to see Steve, wearing presumably what he’d slept in -- a t-shirt and loose knit shorts -- and looking downright distraught. 

“Tony, I’m sorry .. I didn’t mean to wake you up... I shouldn’t have even come here, I’m intruding. It’s just...” The words all came out in a rush as Steve ran his hand through his hair distractedly and shifted his weight from side to side. 

“Just what, Cap?” Tony asked, wondering what had him so wound up. “I was already awake, and I promise you are not intruding. Mi casa es su casa.” 

“It’s stupid, but I didn’t want to be alone. Not after the dream I had.” Steve wouldn’t meet his eyes. 

“I know all about nightmares, trust me,” Tony put his hand on Steve’s shoulder. “There’s no shame in needing a little human contact, a reminder that the nightmare wasn’t real.” 

“But it was real. Bucky died and it was all my fault,” Steve responded, sharply pulling away from Tony’s touch. “He could have gone home, once we got back to Azzano. Phillips was ready to give him an honorable discharge and put him on the next troop ship back to the States.” Steve had started pacing, and Tony moved out of his way. 

“He was my omega and I should have made sure he’d be safe. But I was selfish and I wanted him by my side instead." Steve's voice was hoarse with self-recrimination. "So Bucky followed me right back into the thick of it. Back to dealing with that madman and his infernal devices.” Howard had told Tony just enough about that period of the war, about the futuristic weapons that disintegrated men with a single shot, to understand at least partly why Steve was so upset. War was hell, but Red Skull and Hydra had taken it to new, demonic depths. 

“It was my plan that put us on the train,” Steve continued. “My shield that deflected the shot that ripped the boxcar open. My hand that couldn’t reach him. I had to watch Bucky fall and there wasn’t a goddamned thing I could do about it. I guess that’s why it was so easy to put that plane into the water.” He collapsed into a chair and put his head in his hands. Stunned by Steve's indirect admission of suicide, it took a moment for Tony to respond. 

“Omegas know how to say ‘no’, Steve.” It came out sounding harsher than Tony had intended, but it got Steve’s attention, so that was a plus. “From everything that I’ve read, and heard from Aunt Peggy over the years, Barnes was a smart, stubborn cuss who didn’t hesitate to speak his mind. Nothing like the stereotype of an omega -- flighty, easily swayed and eager to please.” 

Tony found himself giving his friend an awkward embrace, which Steve leaned into gratefully. Tony could barely get his arms around those magnificent shoulders, but he did his best to offer a bit of comfort as he continued his little speech. “I’m sure his loyalty to you was earned, not based on biology. Barnes chose to be with you, whether that was here in the city or over there, on the battlefield. And he’d already been in the fight for months, so he knew damn well what he was getting into.” 

“You sound just like Peg,” Tony couldn’t tell if the sullen tone were genuine, or just a result of Steve’s muffled voice, as his face was partly buried in Tony’s side. 

“That’s quite the compliment,” Tony responded with his (admittedly terrible) imitation of Peggy’s accent. He felt, as much as heard, Steve’s short huff of laughter. “Feeling any better?” 

“A little.” Steve let go of Tony and stood back up, eyes red and cheeks flushed. “Mind if I get cleaned up a bit?” 

“Like I said, my home is your home. It's right over there.” Tony pointed towards the hallway bathroom. 

As Steve went through the door, JARVIS spoke up. “Sir, Colonel Rhodes is on the phone.” 

“Patch him through on speaker, J.” 

“Hey, Tones.” His oldest friend’s familiar voice was just what Tony needed at the moment. 

“Rhodeybear! What’s up, buttercup?” 

“Gonna have to cancel my trip. Seems we got a bad penny or two to deal with - there’s rumors of terrorist activities in Ghazni province that sound a hell of a lot like Ten Rings shit. I’ve gotten clearance to fly the suit over and see what’s going on and I thought I’d invite you along. I could use a sidekick.” 

“Dammit, you’re never gonna let me live that down, are you? How many times do I have to apologize and say I meant ‘esteemed colleague’ instead?” 

“When you can say it with a straight face, and over the phone doesn’t count.” Rhodey teased. “So, are you in?” 

“Afraid not, my friend. I’ve got too much going on here.” 

“Bullshit, Tones. Since when do you let business interfere with pleasure?” 

“Flying around in an armored suit for miles and miles over the desert looking for a needle in a haystack doesn’t sound too pleasurable. And it’s not business. It’s something personal.” 

“You okay, Tony?” Rhodey’s teasing, lighthearted tone was gone; replaced with sincere concern for a dear friend. 

“Always. Now, go get your alpha ass over to the Middle East and make me proud of my suit.” 

“Your suit? I stole it fair and square! Besides, if it’s ‘your suit’, how come it fits me so damn well?” 

“Because I love you and want you to stay in one piece. Fly safe, Colonel.” 

“Roger that,” Rhodey responded with affection. “Love you too, kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the last chapter made it sound like something more exciting was going to happen -- readers of my other works know that my characters take their sweet time with the physical aspect of the relationship. The reason for the Mature rating will return (and will probably escalate to Explicit), but it's going to take awhile.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve asks about Tony's phone call, then after breakfast, Steve heads to his old neighborhood and Tony gets some tinkering done. Steve brings lunch back and gets a tour of the workshop.

“Who was that on the phone?” Steve asked, wiping his hands on a towel as he came back out into Tony’s living room. 

“Colonel James Rupert Rhodes, US Air Force. But I’ve known him since we were college roomies at MIT, so he’s Rhodey to me. He’s got a suit, too -- one of my early ones that we tinkered with -- and his codename is War Machine. He would have been a lot of help against the Chitauri, but I couldn’t raise him in time.” Tony responded casually; he hadn't realized that Steve could overhear his conversation.

“Was he the alpha you...” Steve’s tone had gone strangely flat. 

So he’d heard that bit, too. “Well, yes, but -- you see,” Tony struggled to explain the situation. “It was kind of a last ditch, out of the blue thing. I said it was awkward and uncomfortable because we’re really close friends and he’s like, pretty damn straight. The.. .uh... proceedings themselves were, well, brief but memorable.” Tony didn’t think he could blush over much of anything anymore, but here he was, turning as red as a tomato. 

“And you love him,” Steve replied, looking out the window over Tony’s shoulder. 

“Well, yeah, he’s my best friend and all. Oh! You mean flowers and chocolate and long walks on the beach and sappy pop songs kind of love. Like I said, he’s all about the ladies, so, no.” 

Steve gave him a skeptical look. “Sounds like you don’t think much of love.” 

“Got no real reason to,” Tony shrugged. “I mean, my parents set a lousy example. Even when they were more or less getting along, they slept in separate bedrooms and hardly saw each other due to their busy schedules. Then they’d go for weeks barely speaking to one another -- routing messages through their kid. I had a fling in my early twenties that went sour eventually and Pepper ... well, Pepper deserves someone a little less hell-bent on self-destruction.” 

“And what do you deserve, Tony?” From anyone else, Tony would have heard this question as ‘why do you think you’re worthy of love or affection?’ But that didn’t seem to be Steve’s style; he wasn’t the type to play those kinds of games. Nevertheless, Tony had done enough self-revelation on an empty stomach. 

“Right now, I deserve a greasy diner breakfast. Let’s throw some clean clothes on and head down the block. I know just the place.”

 

About fifteen minutes later, Tony handed Steve a pair of Ray Bans and a baseball cap. “Best disguise I could come up with for you on short notice.” 

“Tony, what in the world are you wearing?” Steve asked, his expression a mix of confusion and amusement. 

“What, you don’t like my Hunter S. Thompson cosplay?” He was rather proud of it, actually - a loud aloha shirt, yellow-lensed aviators, baggy shorts and bucket hat were about the last thing the public would expect to see Tony Stark wearing. 

“I don’t know who... or what... that means.” But Steve was smiling, and that had been at least part of Tony’s intent all along. 

“JARVIS - add _Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_ to the movie queue. Shall we be on our merry way, Cap?” 

After breakfast, Steve caught the F train back to Brooklyn. He had a membership at a gym just down the street from his old apartment and despite Tony’s offer to set up whatever equipment he wanted at the Tower, said he’d rather continue going there. 

“I’ve gotten to know a couple of the guys, and it’s just a nice atmosphere. Nothin’ fancy.” And that was something Tony was quickly learning about his friend, he liked things simple and on the old-fashioned side. 

Tony had tasks to occupy him as well. Pepper’s reign as CEO of Stark Industries had taken a lot of the administrative load off him, but he still had meetings to attend, proposals to review and other boring business stuff to do throughout the week. So Tony always carved out time on the weekend to tinker. After all, he was a mechanic at heart and there was nothing better than getting his hands dirty. 

This afternoon, he planned to get covered with metal shavings and cutting oil. He’d started work on machining a couple of armor stands the night before, and given up when he couldn’t focus. What a difference a day made; Tony felt as if he were practically back to his old self. He wasn’t sure if it was simply a temporary leveling out of his hormones, or if Steve had actually been onto something, but he wasn’t going to complain either way. He fired up the lathe and got back to work. 

The stands were for the most recent iterations of the Iron Man armor: The Mark VII had worked spectacularly when he needed it, but both it and the Mark VI were ready to be retired; to join their brethren and serve as inspiration for the next generation.

“Gonna get you both some well-deserved rest, my darlings,” Tony crooned as he ran a hand over their scarred and pitted surfaces. “You took care of me when I needed you the most, didn’t you? Give me just a little bit and you can go hang out with your older siblings”. 

Currently, the framework of the latest iteration of the Iron Man armor -- the Mark VIII -- was complete. It had been assembled and was hanging a bit macabrely from a hoist in the corner. The chestplate was ready to go as well, with the rest of the plating most of the way through fab. Tony still had work to do on the helmet, though, and he was looking forward to digging into his planned upgrades. 

Tony’s prior research on haptic perception for the holographic interface was dovetailing nicely with his more recent delving into kinesthesia and proprioception -- all with the aim of making the armor more responsive. He’d come a long way; the Mark I had amplified his own gross motor movements via belt-driven pulleys. A slow lumber reminiscent of Frankenstein’s monster was the best he could do and the limited arm movements had been pretty much all muscle-powered. But considering what he and Yinsen had to work with, it had been damn impressive. 

The next half-dozen iterations had various actuator systems as power assists and strength augmentation, with critically damped servos providing feedback. To an external observer, it probably seemed as if the suit and Tony moved as if one, but he could still detect lag. He needed the armor to move at the speed of thought. 

The bench testing he’d done so far had gone quite well. Tony had hooked himself up to an EEG machine which tied into JARVIS. He had then linked in various pieces and parts of the suit to test out the interaction. The testing culminated with him taking a tethered and helmet-less stroll around the lab. The next step was a wearable prototype; perhaps he’d have time to work on its design during tomorrow’s flights. 

 

“Captain Rogers is requesting access to the workshop; I believe he is bringing you lunch, Sir.” Tony stared at the clock; how was it already early afternoon? Sure, he’d finished machining the parts for one of the stands and had it half-welded together, but had that really taken five hours? 

“Let him in, J.” 

The door slid open to reveal Steve looking ten times better than he had earlier that morning. He smiled and held up two large bags from Luigi’s. “Join me for some chow?” 

“It’s a date,” Tony replied, biting his tongue just a moment too late. “Um - just let me wash up.” After a thorough application of Gojo and plenty of rinsing, he pulled up a stool to where Steve had already laid out several containers. 

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got a couple of different things. I guess they put vodka in spaghetti sauce now?” 

“Yes, and it’s awesome. Did you get any pasta puttanesca?” 

“Uh, no... why would they name a dish that?” Steve raised a disbelieving eyebrow and Tony grinned. Of course a soldier who’d spent time in Italy would know the local word for ‘whore’, whether he partook or not. 

“Probably because it stinks to high heaven, but still satisfies.” Tony’s quick response drew a full-body laugh from Steve, quite possibly the first Tony had seen. It looked good on him. 

As they ate, Tony watched Steve take in the workshop with wide eyes; so when they were done, he asked, “Wanna take the nickel tour, Cap?” 

‘Workshop’ was perhaps a misnomer, as the space spanned two floors of the Tower’s sub-basement, with catwalks and hoists running across the vast open area. A concrete wall separated it from the arc reactor room, with cables the size of Tony’s arm snaking across the ceiling to provide power for the machinery that built and maintained his armor. Shrouded in darkness and quiet now, the hum and throb of the equipment positioned between the concrete pillars felt like a vast heartbeat when it was all up and running. 

A half-dozen of Tony’s favorite vehicles were lined up along the far wall next to a gated access ramp; the ‘32 roadster caught Steve’s interest, so Tony told him a bit about restoring the car, which had been a hand-me-down from his father. That led to Steve mentioning Howard’s flying car demonstration at the Fair of Tomorrow with Tony explaining how he’d based the repulsor technology on that project. Tony could tell Steve wanted to talk more about his father, but Tony wasn’t in the mood to reminisce about Dear Old Dad and redirected the conversation pretty quickly. 

Tony introduced Steve to Dum-E and U and he wasn’t sure who was more excited -- the ‘bots or Steve himself. “You mean you built this robot all by yourself? When you were just a kid?” Tony blushed a little at his friend’s unabashed praise. And when Steve got down on one knee to talk to U and shake the ‘bot’s claw, Tony found himself unexpectedly touched. Must be the hormones, he thought. 

“So, what’s with all these other Iron Man suits, Tony?” Steve asked, rising to his feet to walk up and down in front of the wall of armor. 

“It’s kind of like a trophy case -- reminds me how far I’ve come.” Tony patted the side of his first creation, which loomed over all the rest. “This was my first baby, the Mark I. Looks a little rough, I know, but I didn’t have a whole lot to work with at the time.”

“Wait, was this the one you built in the cave with Yinsen?” 

“It’s a replica.” Tony explained. “There wasn’t much more than than hunks of the original left after I crash-landed in the desert, and those had been well-picked over by the time me and Rhodey were able to make it back.” 

“Here,” Tony continued, running a hand over the Mark II, “we see what can be done with the right tools as well as motivation. This shiny sweetheart was the first one to actually fly; the Mark I was pretty much a launch-and hold-the-hell-on situation.” Steve winced slightly and Tony decided against showing him the footage of the repulsor tests. “The integrated heads-up display and flight control interface are things of beauty, if I do say so myself . It’s another replica, as Rhodey pinched the original and we eventually made it over into the War Machine armor.” 

“Is that what he meant by ‘stole fair and square’?” Steve asked with an amused grin.

“Pretty much. Over here is my first real battle armor, the Mark III. It’s got forearm rockets and shoulder-mounted miniguns, as well as gold titanium plate armor. It’s a hell of a workout to fly and to fight in, but it took me where I needed to go.” All the way back to the desert so he could start atoning for his sins. 

Some would argue they weren’t his sins, but Stane’s; Tony still wondered just how quickly Obie had gotten his hands on the left-behind plans and scraps of the Mark I, to have built his own monstrosity so quickly. As for who had helped, well, Tony left that investigative work to Happy, with Pepper being the one to sign the termination papers. It was easier not to know who else had been complicit in betraying him. 

“Looks like you were lucky to make it back,” Steve commented. The suit had barely survived the battle and still bore blast marks and gouges. 

“Yeah, I was. I don’t suppose the name Obadiah Stane got mentioned anywhere in my file?” 

Steve nodded. “A little, and I also asked Pepper about him. Sounds like a nasty piece of work.” 

“You have no idea. He and my dad are the reason I have a problem with authority figures. But let’s move on. Not much to say about this one,” Tony commented, as they walked by the Mark IV, “basically minor, incremental improvements. But this foxy thing? Well Number Five is alive.” He couldn’t resist the reference; _Short Circuit_ had a soft spot in his heart, as it was the main inspiration for Dum-E. Steve was apparently learning to ignore Tony’s bits of verbal whimsy, as he just listened as Tony went on to explain how the Mark V had been his first attempt at self-assembling, portable armor. It was also a study in opposites to its predecessor as he worked through the practical results of his thought exercises. 

“This suit turned out to be goddamned handy there in Monaco. I’m still surprised it didn’t tear apart like tinfoil the first time Vanko lashed out.” 

“Vanko?” Steve asked. 

“A Russian nutcase with a knockoff arc reactor and some creative weaponry.” Despite trying to kill him twice, Tony had to admire the man’s brilliant mind. While his suit designs had their flaws, the ionized plasma whips were absolutely badass. Tony still regretted not getting to the Monaco police station in time to grease the necessary palms; SHIELD had apparently beaten him to it, with a J. Garrett having signed the paperwork to take custody of the apparatus. 

“Vanko partnered up with Justin Fucking Hammer and reprogrammed his half-assed robotic versions of my suits. Rhodey and I had to team up to take them down, and I broke out the Mark VI, which you’ve already met.” Steve nodded in recognition; it had been the suit Tony wore in Germany, as well as on the helicarrier. “It took a licking and kept on ticking -- probably the longest lived armor so far. But after tangling with the rotor, I limped this baby home and let ‘er rest.” 

“Thank god I’d already been working on this gorgeous thing,” Tony gestured towards the Mark VII. “The remote find and assemble feature literally saved my life when Loki threw me out of the tower.” Steve’s eyes grew wide; apparently he hadn’t read through that portion of Tony’s debrief with Fury. “ It saw some action too -- between the inside of one of those Chitauri space whales and the portal, I figure it deserves an honorable discharge.” 

“I don’t know what to say, Tony,” Steve replied slowly, looking up and down the line of armor. “You’ve done amazing work. Thank you for showing them to me.” 

“Thanks for letting me brag a little,” Tony shrugged. 

Steve had a thoughtful look on his face, and excused himself, saying he’d meet Tony for dinner. “Maybe we could order in pizza and watch another movie?” 

That evening, they ended up picking another film off Steve’s To Watch list: _To Catch a Thief_. Tony never passed up a chance to watch Cary Grant act, and Grace Kelly was a vision as well. But as they sat companionably on the couch together, Tony found himself acutely aware of Steve’s presence. He didn’t have the excuse of any physical complaints to initiate contact, and besides, that wouldn’t have done his emotional state any good. 

“Well, Cap,” Tony stood and stretched as the credits rolled. “We’ve got a busy day tomorrow, so I’m hitting the sack.” 

“See you then, Tony.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, apparently I have a thing for Tony's armor! Forgive my self-indulgence...


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Tony go to Washington DC to attend the memorial service for Phil Coulson. Steve makes a side-trip to visit an old friend, and Tony finds out just what kind of briefings SHIELD has been giving Steve.

Happy got them to the airport around 9am -- plenty of time to make the service at noon in DC. Steve had seemed a bit out of sorts on the drive out, but it wasn’t until he boarded the corporate jet that his nerves really started to show. Tony felt awful; he hadn’t even stopped to think about Steve’s recent experiences on planes. And while his companion was trying to act as if everything were fine, Tony wouldn’t be surprised to see permanent finger-shaped dents in the armrests by the end of the trip. 

Tony got the attention of one of the flight attendants and asked her quietly to tell the pilot not to fly over any open water on their way to DC; didn’t need to make things any worse. After attempting to distract Steve with one of his choice MIT shenanigans stories, Tony moved over next to him, put a hand on his shoulder and said, “Penny for your thoughts, Cap.” 

“I wish I’d gotten to know him better.” 

“Yeah, me too.” Tony had never known what to think of Coulson’s mild-mannered demeanor; even his threat to taser Tony had sounded more like a personal inconvenience than anything else. The SHIELD agent had appeared to be completely unflappable, and Tony had admired that about him. “He was a good man. A little hard to read, perhaps, but someone I was glad to have on our side.” Steve murmured in agreement, but didn’t seem to want to talk more about it, so Tony let him be. 

A towncar met them at the airport and brought them into the city. The notice had said that Coulson had donated his body to science, and the largely secular memorial service was to be held in a sheltered greenspace within the Triskelion complex. The two of them joined the crowd that had gathered to honor their fallen comrade, and Tony looked for familiar faces. 

Deputy Hill walked over to them. “Thank you both for coming.” Her nose twitched slightly as she shook hands with Tony. “Could I have a few moments of your time, Mr. Stark?” Tony caught the scent of leather and gunpowder as she took his arm and led him towards the edge of the gathering. 

“What’s going on?” Concern and unease colored her voice, even as she kept her volume low and her expression neutral. “Fury said you were on some sort of omega suppressant medication.”

“So he told you, too?” A flare of outrage made it difficult for Tony to keep his voice down. He hadn’t known that Hill was an alpha, which made it feel like even more of a betrayal. “Jesus, maybe I should just have my status tattooed across my forehead.” 

“If we don’t get downwind pronto, you won’t have to,” Hill replied. “There’s at least a half-dozen other alphas in this crowd. If I’d realized you were ... compromised, I’d have warned you off.” 

“It’s just a temporary blip,” Tony protested. “A meds adjustment. I’ll be right as rain in a day or two.” He had no compunction about lying to SHIELD; heaven knows they’d lied plenty to him. 

“How has Rogers not noticed --” She must’ve caught something in Tony’s expression, as her eyebrows flew up and a slight smirk crossed her face. 

“Well, I guess opposites attract after all. You might want to keep in mind that alpha/omega relations were a little bit different back then. I’ll email you the information we put in Rogers’ orientation packet and maybe the two of you can come to an arrangement.” Before their conversation headed any further downhill, an announcement came over the portable loudspeakers, indicating the ceremony was about to begin. Hill faded into the crowd as Steve came over to take a seat right next to Tony, sitting bolt upright and watching Hill closely until she took a place up near the front. 

Just as the first speaker stepped up to the lectern, Pepper hurriedly sat down in the empty seat across the aisle from Tony and Steve. She caught Tony’s eye and gave a slight wave. He shouldn’t have been surprised that Pepper had come; as she and Coulson had gotten a little buddy-buddy over the past year or so. But it still threw him a little off-balance to see her without being able to prepare himself. 

Fury gave the main elegy for Coulson, as seemed appropriate, and a good dozen men and women, including Romanoff and Hill, also shared a few words. As Coulson was a former Army Ranger, he received a three-volley salute as part of the military honors, and the flag was presented to an elderly woman, presumably his mother. 

Once the service came to a close, Pepper came over to greet them, eyes bright with unshed tears. “Tony, Steve. I can’t stay long. Honestly, I shouldn’t even be here. I’m due to give a speech at a clean energy conference in London in,” she checked her watch, “about ten hours. But I couldn’t not say goodbye to Phil.” 

She sniffled a little, and leaned in for an embrace, saying to Tony, “He’d have been glad you came.” As they hugged, Pepper inhaled, then murmured in his ear, “That’s not a new cologne, is it?” 

“Not exactly,” he replied, just as quietly. He’d had one minor heat in the time they’d been together, so it was very likely she recognized the scent for exactly what it was. “No big deal. I’ve got it under control.” She gave him a searching look as they broke apart, then her eyes flicked briefly to his teammate. 

“You be careful, Tony.” She kissed him on the cheek, then turned to Steve. “Captain Rogers. I understand you’re residing in the Tower now, and working with Tony to develop a home base for the Avengers.” She was suddenly all business and Steve seemed taken aback by her change in demeanor.

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“Just remember the building belongs to Stark Industries and as such, both I and SI’s Head of Security have access to all surveillance video.” She softened slightly and added, “Don’t let Tony work too hard, and make him sleep once in awhile. I’ll send you a list of his favorite take-out places. You should be able to lure him out of his workshop with some food.” 

As Steve didn’t seem to quite know how to reply, Tony broke in. “Standing right here. I can hear every word you’re saying.” 

“And I speak the truth, don’t I? Sometimes you need a keeper.” Pepper smiled and kissed him on the cheek before departing. 

Another familiar figure broke away from a small knot of guests and walked over to Tony and Steve. It was Romanoff. “Where’s Barton?” Tony asked. “Thought you two were joined at the hip.” 

“He didn’t think he’d be welcome,” Her eyes scanned the crowd restlessly as she spoke. Tony wondered if she were making note of who among the crowd was missing -- still in the hospital, or worse. 

“We all know it wasn’t really him, ” Steve broke in. “Loki had him under some sort of mind control. It wasn’t his fault.” 

“But it was his hand that pulled the trigger and killed his fellow agents, his friends. His expertise that let Loki get as far as he did. Clint can’t get past that, not yet,” she replied, sounding surprisingly vulnerable. 

Tony knew a thing or two about that feeling; the helpless, desperate guilt at having been manipulated for another’s gain. His own inattention to Stane’s underhanded agenda had killed innocent people as surely as if he’d aimed and fired those weapons himself. “Tell him we understand,” Tony found himself saying, “and he’s welcome to join us in the Tower anytime.” 

Her gaze turned speculative as she met his eyes. “What about me, Mr. Stark? Will I be welcome?” Voiced almost as a challenge; her question gave him pause. Romanoff had played her Natalie Rushman role to the hilt, lying to his face (albeit at Fury’s request) as well as being a literal pain in the neck. Nevertheless, she’d also faced the aliens armed with nothing more than a couple of pistols, some sort of stun-bracelets and an enormous amount of courage. 

Steve had told Tony about the crazy stunt she pulled, using him and his shield as a launch platform to assault and take control of one of the alien’s mini-ships so she could get to the top of the Tower. How she’d disobeyed Captain America’s direct order, waiting as long as she possibly could for Iron Man to return before closing the portal. Forgiveness needed to start somewhere. 

“As long as you promise not to wrap your thighs around my bodyguard’s neck again.” 

“I suppose I can agree to that,” she answered with an amused quirk of her lips, then changed the subject. “Was that Miss Potts you were talking with just now?” As if she hadn’t recognized her former ‘employer’. 

“Yes, she’s on her way to London. We’ve ... split our operations, so to speak. I’m in New York full time now, and Pepper’s staying on the West Coast.” It was somehow easier to refer to their breakup in business terms.

“So I’ve heard. I’m sorry.” Tony hadn’t expected sympathy from the agent who had labeled him as a textbook narcissist. 

“She’s a hell of a CEO and I’d hate to lose her expertise. It was for the best.” 

She took a brief glance in Steve’s direction. He had had been approached by a young blonde woman and they were suddenly deep in conversation. Romanoff tilted her head slightly and replied, “Yes, perhaps it was.” There was a quick flash of what almost looked like satisfaction in her expression before she continued, “I need to check in with Fury. Take care of yourself, Stark.” She squeezed his arm before she left in an unaccustomed gesture of affection. 

“Tony?” Steve called out as he motioned him over. “Miss Carter, I’d like you to meet Tony Stark. Tony, this is Sharon Carter, one of Coulson’s proteges ... and Peggy’s niece.” As they shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, Tony could see a family resemblance, both in her appearance and her bearing. Carter had a firm grip and a slight callus at the base of her thumb; proof of hours spent on the firing range.

“Miss Carter is going to see her aunt and invited me to come with her,” Steve continued. “When were you planning on heading back?” While there was uncertainty in his voice, it seemed Steve had decided it was time to reunite with his wartime sweetheart, and Tony certainly wasn’t going to stand in his way. 

“I have no particular plans, Cap. I’m sure I’ll find something to do. Tell Peggy ‘Anthony says hi’, and call Happy when you’re finished with your visit.” 

“Thanks, Tony.” Steve offered his arm to Miss Carter as they walked towards the parking garage. 

Tony returned to the jet, planning to got some work done. But Hill had been true to her word; she’d already emailed a surprisingly detailed file that covered the differences between the social mores of Steve’s time and the modern day. Tony skimmed through the sections dealing with gender roles and the current perception of sexual orientation before focusing in on alpha/omega culture. 

Disappointingly (if not surprisingly), the material seemed written wholly from an alpha viewpoint. Having sex with an omega during their heat was considered to be doing them a favor; but it was also assumed that birth control was the responsibility of the omega. That said, knotting was described as ‘a primitive reflex’ and something to avoid indulging in too often, if at all. The unwritten assumption was that this avoidance also reduced the possibility of impregnation. Which could explain Rhodey’s behavior, Tony reflected. 

The document went on to describe bonding as ‘old-fashioned’ and ‘overrated’, and while it didn’t come right out and say that omegas used their heats as a way to trap alphas into a committed relationship, it didn’t take much to read between the lines. Tony pushed himself to read through the entire section, despite the anti-omega slant making him both angry and heartsick. 

While Tony had a feeling that the material had been written specifically to dissuade Steve from getting physically or emotionally involved with someone right off the bat, the overall attitude wasn’t that far off from what Tony knew society in general to believe: that omegas were second-class citizens. While that attitude was one that Steve himself didn’t seem to share, it bothered Tony quite a bit that Steve had read and probably assumed this propaganda was correct in terms of modern societal behavior. It also made Tony wonder how else SHIELD was trying to control a valuable asset like Captain America. 

This rather depressing train of thought was interrupted when the pilot announced that Captain Rogers had just passed through security and was headed out to the plane. As he boarded, Tony noticed a sag to his shoulders. Perhaps it hadn’t gone so well. Tony waved a hand to save and close his email; the projection that had been hovering above the table suddenly blinking out. 

“You look like you could use a drink, Cap.” 

“Some water would be nice.” The flight attendant was readying the cabin for takeoff, so Tony rummaged in the mini fridge and pulled out two bottles, sliding one across the table to Steve. Before he sat, Steve grimaced at the marks he’d left in the armrest that morning. “Sorry.” 

“No worries - this plane has seen much worse. Do you know how much it costs to steam clean all this upholstery?” That got a small smile from Steve, but nothing more. “Hey, if you want, I can call a cab to take you to the train station. There’s an express route that will get you back to the city in three, three and a half hours, tops.” He’d miss Steve’s company, but if it was less stressful for him to take alternate transportation, Tony could make that happen. 

“ ‘S’ok. I just want to get home.” Steve sighed heavily and took a long drink of water. Tony's heart lightened a moment at the thought that he meant the Tower was home, but perhaps he’d simply meant New York in general. 

“We should be wheels up in just a few, then.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little tense on the flight back from DC to New York, but Tony and Steve smooth things back over. Later that week, Tony heads out to the eastern coast of Long Island to do some suit testing, and Steve comes along to watch. A glitch in the suit brings out an unexpected reaction.

It wasn’t until they were airborne that Steve spoke again. “Sharon ... Miss Carter, I mean ... went in first, to see how Peggy was doing, if she was up for visitors. I gotta say, it was a bit of a shock to see her at first ... but she’s still beautiful, you know?” Tony nodded at Steve’s wry smile. “I told her you said hello and she replied, and I quote. ‘Tell Anthony if I catch him haring off into any more holes in the sky, I’ll box his ears.’” 

“She probably would, and I’d deserve it,” Tony laughed. “What else did she have to say?” 

“She asked what had happened to all the alien technology -- their weapons and vehicles. I told her that Stark Industries was partnering with SHIELD on damage control. That we had tracking equipment and were working on rounding it all up.” 

“Ever the practical woman; still worrying about protecting humankind from itself.” 

“We talked a little about the battle... and then she kind of faded out for a moment,” Steve continued. “Suddenly she was saying something about V-E day and wanting to go out and celebrate, but she was stuck in her sickbed. She apologized, but said I still owed her that dance at the Stork Club.” Steve ducked his head with a strangled coughing sound, then ran a hand roughly over his face. 

Tony knew how it had felt when Peggy started calling him Howard; he couldn’t imagine how much worse it must have been for Steve. “What did you say?” he asked gently. 

“I told her that was okay, that it gave me time to take a few dance lessons from Arthur Murray. But I had to leave. It hurt too much to stay.” 

“You still love her, don’t you?” A twinge of unexpected jealousy forced the question out before Tony could think twice. 

“Of course I do, Tony!” Steve shot back. “I told you, it’s only been about a month for me since I was back there.” His fists were clenched where they rested on the table. “I thought, maybe, when it was all over, that I’d ask her.... that maybe we could make a life together. I knew it wouldn’t be the same without a bond, but it could be enough.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Steve looked at him as if he were a little slow. “The bond... the alpha/omega bond. Bucky and I had it, and you and --” 

“No.” Tony interrupted. “Rhodey and I did not bond. We didn’t knot, we didn’t do anything but the bare minimum wham bam thank you ma’am, just enough to kick my system back into standard gear. He was doing me a favor.” Which was not exactly a lie. Their coupling had been mostly out of necessity, but Rhodey had showed more care and compassion than Tony had expected. If only his best friend weren’t also irredeemably straight, something more might have come out of it. 

“Tony, it shouldn’t have been that way. Especially for your first--” 

“Well, it wasn’t exactly my first, and it was that way. Spilled milk and all that. Now, if you don’t mind, I have some more work I need to get done.” Tony tapped his tablet to bring up one of his latest projects, letting the holographic display sprawl between them. But he could see the look Steve was giving him -- _Don’t you dare pity me, Rogers_ \-- as he stood and walked past Tony to the rear of the plane. 

Okay, so it was an asshole move. But the conversation was starting to tread on dangerous, painful ground for them both. He felt for Steve, really he did; but the guy was still young in all the ways that counted, and an alpha. He’d have no trouble finding someone as smart and capable and beautiful as Peggy had been in her prime. Or Barnes, for that matter, if Steve decided to swing that way again.

Discovering that the two of them -- Barnes and Steve -- had bonded after all gave Tony pause. Not only did it pretty much cement Steve’s bisexuality, it also meant that their relationship was much deeper than had ever been portrayed in the history books. And from what Steve had shared of his conversation with Fury, it wasn’t clear whether anyone at SHIELD was aware that the two men had been bondmates. 

For Steve to have lost Barnes so suddenly and tragically; it’s amazing he hadn’t fallen completely apart. Tony knew how hard it had been to let go of Pepper, and there was no biological component reinforcing their relationship. No wonder Steve still had nightmares.

But then again, time eventually heals all wounds, doesn’t it?. At the gala, Tony had watched at least a half-dozen young women (and nearly as many young men) come up and flirt with Captain Rogers over the course of the evening. When he was ready, Steve would have plenty of options to choose from, whether he was looking for an omega or not. A man nearly two decades his senior, proud to a fault and a sarcastic wiseass, a man who had already proven that he was incapable of a romantic relationship? Probably not gonna even be on the list at all. 

The worst thing is that Tony didn’t think it was just his raging hormones that kept drawing him to Steve. Sure he was downright gorgeous in person, but Steve was also kind, trustworthy, loyal, brave and all that other Boy Scout stuff. And certainly much less of a stuffed shirt than Tony had thought at first; the ‘puttanesca’ bit had just proved that once again. 

Which is why Tony couldn’t let himself think about what Steve had said: ‘I helped Bucky get through his cycle more than once. Maybe I could...’ Damn him, he probably would, out of the goodness of his heart and as a favor to a teammate. Which meant Tony’s scarred and battered heart would no longer be his own. 

Tony found himself humming a line from an old Simon and Garfunkel song -- ‘and a rock feels no pain/and an island never cries’ -- as he focused on his latest project -- controlling the Iron Man armor via thought alone.

 

But a small wisp of long-ignored conscience kept poking at Tony, and after about ten minutes, he saved his project and turned his chair around. 

“Hey, Cap?” he called out. Steve raised his head from the magazine he’d been looking at. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. My poor life choices are no excuse to be rude.” 

Steve looked as if he were going to actually argue about it for a moment, then simply replied, “Apology accepted. It’s been a busy day.” He got up and came back over to the table. “What are you working on? It’s beautiful.” 

Tony certainly thought so; but it was somehow a compliment to hear that from a layperson as well. He started explaining it to Steve -- how the electrodes in the helmet would transmit commands to the various parts of the suit -- the repulsors, the control surfaces, the weapons, etc. 

“So, how does it work now?” Steve asked, “I could have sworn you were already controlling the suit like that, as quickly as you can move in that thing.” 

“It’s mostly physical, with some voice commands to JARVIS. I keep improving it each time around. This will go in the Mark VIII -- if I have the time to get the prototype up and running, I might do some test runs this coming weekend.” 

“I’d love to see it in action -- could I join you?” Steve asked, and Tony considered it for a moment. He very rarely let other people see his unfinished projects. It was probably yet another consequence of his youth, where his father would eviscerate any of Tony’s projects that weren’t working perfectly when he went to show them off. But Steve had seemed genuinely fascinated by what Tony had showed him, both just now and on his visit to the workshop. 

“Okay.” 

 

Tony hadn’t thought the transportation logistics through. He preferred to run his flight tests over a wide, open area, preferably empty of both people and buildings. The Malibu mansion had been ideal for previous iterations of the suit, as he could be off over the water or in the mountains in minutes. A little tougher to find somewhere that empty here on the East Coast. 

But Camp Hero State Park, out at the northeast tip of Long Island was just the ticket. It was part of his old stomping grounds, as his parents had owned a beach house just down the coast when he was growing up, and he was fairly familiar with the area. As he’d done with the Mark VI and VII, Tony’s plan was to fly the suit out there, then strap on the prototype equipment and go for it. But now he had another person to account for. He wasn’t sure he could fit both his armor and Steve into anything he felt like driving that distance, and he hated to pull Happy in, as he’d already given him the weekend off. 

When Tony mentioned his dilemma, Steve said, “Show me where you’re going, and I’ll get my bike out. Bet it’s a pretty drive.” And that was that. JARVIS projected a map on the wall, and both Tony and Steve scouted out possible locations. They decided on a spot along a deserted stretch of the Old Montauk highway, as most tourists going out to the Lighthouse would take the main highway instead. The next morning, Tony let Steve get about an hour and a half head start, sending the prototype equipment along with him in the Harley’s saddlebags. 

“Guess we should have checked the weather report, huh?” Tony said by way of greeting. He touched down on the bluff next to where Steve’s bike was parked, its rider huddled into his leather jacket against the unseasonably cool drizzle and wind. “Sure you don’t want to head back to town? I can meet you at the Crow’s Nest Bar & Grill when I’m done.” 

“Nah, I’m okay,” Steve replied. “Haven’t really had a chance to see you fly that thing just for fun, Tony. Seems there’s always been something else to deal with, like alien space whales, helicarrier rotors or nuclear missiles.” He grinned, drops of mist clinging to his eyelashes in an all too distracting manner. 

“You’re not wrong there, Cap. But I’m not sure how much you’re actually going to see. I’m gonna be flying high and fast to test things out.” At Steve’s disappointed expression, Tony relented. “Okay. I’ll come back here when I’m ready for the fancy stuff.” He pulled the bag of test equipment out of the bike’s saddlebags. “Help me get get hooked up?” 

Tony had explained the prototype to Steve the night before: how it reads in the brainwaves collected by the electrodes attached to Tony’s scalp and translates them to commands for the suit. There were two cables coming out of the bulky case, both of which needed to be connected to temporary ports Tony had added to the suit. They were positioned along the dorsal channel which, just like the spinal cord, carries information back and forth from the suit to the helmet and the HUD. It had been easiest to place the ports at the back of the neck; but it left Tony feeling oddly vulnerable when Steve had him bow his head in order to plug them in. 

When he was done, Steve lightly patted the back of the helmet, saying. “Should be good to go.” Tony was sure he looked more than a little foolish, wearing a backpack over the suit to hold the prototype, as it was about the size of a laptop computer, but twice as thick. At least he’d picked a red one, so it blended in a bit. Happy would have razzed him, making some comment about ‘Iron Man’s first day at school’ or something similar; but Steve didn’t seem the least bit fazed. Tony tossed his companion a quick salute, then took off. While he’d pulled the various straps tight, the backpack and its contents still threw the balance of the suit off a little, but he quickly adjusted.

“JARVIS - switch over to telepathy mode.” The suit dipped and shuddered slightly, as his AI dialed down its control, handing it over to Tony’s own mind. The thought control process had taken some getting used to in the lab; and even more so now that he was dealing with six degrees of motion. But Tony started experimenting almost immediately, methodically varying his speed, altitude and heading. He couldn’t have asked for better response times; Rhodey was going to be all over this. 

“How’s she handle?” Steve asked over the comms, the wonder in his voice clear as day. 

“Like a dream, Steve, like a goddamned dream!” Tony whooped with joy as he sped by the bluff. Steve barely had time to wave before the suit was halfway down the beach. 

Tony thought about doing a barrel roll, and he was up and around quick as a wink. He’d loaded up some dummy ammo and, aiming into the ocean, fired off a few rounds. Then he hovered to see how the hand repulsors responded. Beautiful, just beautiful. He was one with the suit, and the suit was one with him. 

Tony started gaining height in preparation for an Immelman when a cramp suddenly struck him, low and savage. He doubled over instinctively, and so did the suit; throwing him into a tumble, sky alternating with sea as the repulsors cut out. 

“Tony! What’s wrong?” Steve’s shock and panic mirrored his own. Tony pushed down the pain as he struggled to right himself and fire the repulsors back up. The ocean was coming towards him entirely too quickly. He stretched out his arms and legs to force the suit into a modified glide; if he dove instead, he might not have the power to surface. The impact of the waves rattled Tony’s teeth as he skipped across the surface of the water a half-dozen times. 

And then he was throwing up a plume of sand and gravel, skidding to a stop on the suddenly very narrow beach. With a groan, Tony wiggled his hands and feet before struggling to roll onto his back. Nothing broken, he thought, but he was sure he’d be hurting as soon as the adrenaline wore off. 

“Tony! Are you okay? Report... please!” Steve sounded downright desperate; he’d better do something about that. 

“Just call me Icarus. Wings are a bit singed, but I’m okay. I landed on the beach aways down from where you’re at, I think.” He’d gotten thoroughly disoriented by the mid-air tumble. “JARVIS, buddy, you still there?” 

“Back online, sir. Here’s your current location relative to Captain Rogers.” The HUD flashed up a map -- Tony assumed he was the stationary red dot, while the blue dot moving rapidly in his direction was Steve. He’d been right; he’d crash-landed about a click south of his original starting point. 

“Pop the faceplate for me, J?” The salt air had never tasted so sweet. Tony sat up slowly and took several deep breaths before being tackled by a distraught super soldier. “Whoa there, Cap! I’m alright -- just a little shaken and stirred.” 

“What happened, Tony?” His eyes wild, Steve was breathing hard and trembling slightly as he sat back on his heels. 

“Another damn cramp -- I just lost focus for a moment. JARVIS, make a note to keep gyros and stabilizers under AI control, even in telepathy mode. And how’s about unhooking the release latches for me? It’s getting a bit close in here.” He heard the clicks and felt a cool breeze coming in through the seams of the suit. “Little help, Cap?” 

Steve carefully lifted off the chest and torso armor sections as Tony freed his arms and legs, finally taking off the helmet. As he struggled to get to his feet, his abdomen muscles stiff and sore, the last thing Tony expected was for Steve to gather him into an embrace, murmur in his ear, “I saw you fall and thought I’d lost you, too,” and kiss him. 

The kiss was both urgent and gentle; questioning while at the same time claiming, almost completely chaste, but nevertheless promising all sorts of sensual delights. It took Tony’s breath away, even as he did his level best to reciprocate. 

Steve broke it off much too soon, with apologies spilling from his lips. “Tony, I am so sorry... I never should have... please don’t think that I assume...”

“Shut up, soldier.” Tony grabbed a handful of Steve’s shirt and pulled him back in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So excited to finally be sharing this chapter! There's definitely a shift in their relationship going forward, but the smutty bits are still a few chapters away...


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the kiss on the beach, Tony limps the suit back to the Tower alongside Steve; apologies for previous bad behavior are exchanged.

When they came up for air, Tony said, “Not that this isn’t amazing and all, but I have to question our choice of location. You know Fury would have an aneurism if Hawkeye and Black Widow got caught necking in public, much less Captain America and Iron Man.” 

“S’pose you have a point.” Steve took a small, reluctant step back. “So, now what?” 

“Gimme a moment.” Tony bent down to pick up the helmet and put it back on, flicking the speaker switch off as he did so. “What’s the sitch on the suit, J?” 

“The majority of the damage is superficial, and all systems are functional,” the AI stated. 

“Okay, so we can blow this popstand and head home?” 

“Well, Sir, some of the control surfaces are not fully responsive, and as there are power fluctuations I cannot currently diagnose, both the speed and altitude of the suit are limited. I recommend that you travel in close proximity to and remain in communication with Captain Rogers for the trip back to the Tower, in the event the suit should fail.” 

“I swear, JARVIS, if you’re trying to play matchmaker...” Tony muttered before removing the helmet. 

“Good news, Cap, I can get the suit back home. However, JARVIS is forcing me to take it easy, so I’ll be flying alongside you and the bike, just in case I go pffft,” Tony said, making a divebombing gesture with his hand.

“Oh no, you’re not doing that again, Tony. This old man’s heart can’t take it.” Steve was grinning slightly, as if making a joke, so Tony responded in kind. 

“Aw, sunshine, I didn’t know you cared.” 

The tease fell flat when Steve replied in a low voice, “Thought I’d just made that obvious, darlin’.” The endearment sent a delicious shiver down Tony’s spine, unfortunately followed by a less pleasant chill as the damp wind picked up, pelting them both with loose sand. 

“Yeah, let’s table that conversation til we’re somewhere warm and dry, okay?” Tony stepped back and looked up at the bluff separating the beach from the road. “Just a sec.” He donned the helmet again; this was getting awkward, but it was the only way to talk to JARVIS. Besides, getting out from under Steve’s gorgeous blue eyes for a moment was a welcome relief. 

“JARVIS, does the suit have enough juice to boost both me and Cap about thirty feet straight up and still get home?” 

“As long as you adhere to the parameters I mentioned earlier, I believe so, Sir.” 

“And how am I gonna get the suit back on? Manually?” 

“I’ve re-established all connections and the auto-assemble feature is back online.” 

“You’re amazing, J. Remind me to give you a raise.” 

“I live to serve, Sir.” 

Tony took the helmet back off. “Okay, Cap - you want to take the stairs or the express elevator to the top?” At Steve’s nonplussed look, he continued. “I mean, you’re welcome to try climbing back up to where you parked, but I speak from experience when I say it’s a tough scramble, and even worse with the wind and rain. Or I can give you a ride.” 

“How would that work?” Steve asked skeptically.

“Hm - if you were wearing your uniform, I’d take hold of the straps and haul you up like I did Barton, but in civvies, it might be a bit more of a challenge.” While Tony had been able to grab Pepper with a quick swoop during the Stark Expo disaster, he hadn’t had time to think it through and was lucky he hadn’t hurt her. Besides, Steve massed almost twice what she did and Tony wouldn’t have any momentum.

“How about this,” Tony suggested, “Once I’m suited up, put a foot on my boot, then wrap your arms around my shoulders. I can put one arm around your waist, leaving the other hand free for steering. We might have to go up at an angle, but it should be fine.” 

“I’m game if you are,” Steve shrugged. “So, how do you get your suit back on?” 

Tony couldn’t resist the chance to be dramatic; he donned the helmet once more, then stood over the prone armor and flung his arms wide. “Show ‘im, J!” The suit started to vibrate, then section by section, it rose from the sand and reformed around him. Steve laughed and applauded, then picked up and donned the backpack containing the prototype. 

“Ready, Cap?” Tony said through the suit’s speakers. Steve stepped close and did as Tony suggested, standing on one boot while securely gripping the armor around the shoulders. Tony reached around Steve’s back and pulled him close. “Three, two, one.” The repulsors fired and the armor rose, wobbling a bit as JARVIS adjusted the thrusters to account for the extra weight and new center of balance. “Easy does it,” A few moments later, they landed on the side of the road. “See? No big deal.”

“That was actually kind of fun. Might be something worth practicing for future battle scenarios, too. Let me go get my bike and I’ll meet you back here in a few.” Steve clapped him on the back and jogged off down the road. It didn’t take long before Tony heard a familiar engine rumble and saw the bike coming his way. Steve rolled to a stop, flipping up the visor of his helmet. “After you, Alphonse.” 

“I get that reference, Gaston.” Tony took off, rising to the level of the treetops and following the road at what felt like a crawl. He definitely had to focus more on his technique while flying at this slower speed, as he had to make minute adjustments on an almost constant basis. This was going to be exhausting. He was just about to ask JARVIS to queue up some of his favorite flying tunes when Steve came over the comms. 

“When you and I met, there on the helicarrier, Tony? I was angry. Angry and sick at heart. Because even though everyone, everything I knew was gone or altered almost beyond recognition, some things hadn’t changed at all. I’d been reading about Korea, about Vietnam, the Balkans... do you know how much the United States has interfered in the Middle East over the past sixty years?” 

Tony was about to retort that yes, he knew a thing or two about that firsthand, but held his tongue and let Steve continue to get whatever he had to say off his chest. 

“I thought I’d done my duty when I ditched the _Valkyrie_. But once they found me, SHIELD put Captain America right back to work. And when they told me I’d be working with Howard Stark’s son? Well, I couldn’t help but assume you’d be following in his footsteps. He was a brilliant man, but incredibly self-centered and he very rarely considered the consequences to his inventions.” Steve sure had Pops’ number, Tony thought. 

“The briefing Agent Sitwell gave me didn’t help your case, Tony, and to be honest, neither did you, at first. But then we worked together and fought together. And after you gave me that tour of your workshop, I asked JARVIS for footage of your previous battles. I saw how you took on Stane, Vanko and those drones. Showed me some scenes from New York I missed out on, too. I was wrong, Tony. You are a hero. I know I can’t take back what I said, but I do regret it.” The sincerity in Steve’s voice came through the comms loud and clear, and Tony was touched. 

“S’okay, Steve,” Tony replied after a moment, his voice rough with unexpected emotion. His own apology was long overdue; and there was no time like the present. “You know, I had a chip on my shoulder a mile wide about the whole Avengers Initiative, and I was just itching for someone to knock it off. My father held Captain America up as an example of everything I was supposed to be, and never seemed to miss an opportunity to tell me how I was failing that ideal. And this was even before I presented as an omega. Afterwards? Well, he barely spoke to me at all.” Tony reflected that the ‘greatest creation’ speech that his father recorded had been before that discovery; he surely hadn’t held the same opinion afterward. 

“So, yeah, I was so focused on taking the Star Spangled Man with a Plan down a notch or two that I kinda forgot there was a person was behind that uniform,” Tony admitted, feeling almost sick to his stomach at the things he’d said to Steve. “You know what? I deserve to have Peggy box my ears. Because she was absolutely right when she said what the serum and Dad’s machine really did was simply to make your outside appearance reflect what was already on the inside. I can see now why the Howling Commandos followed you. Why Barnes didn’t go home. I may still have a few issues with Captain America, but Steve Rogers? I kind of like that guy.”

Steve gave a small huff of laughter. “I’m glad to hear that. And to be fair, that genius billionaire playboy philanthropist Iron Man can be a bit much, but Tony Stark is okay by me.” 

Tony was taken aback at the sense of relief his own confession gave him, as well as how much Steve's apology meant. After a few minutes of quiet travel, he spoke up again. “To change the subject a bit... when did the rest of the world find out you were an alpha?”

“I’d told Erskine, and I think Peggy figured it out on her own. But it wasn’t until they gave me a full physical after the transformation that everyone else found out. Your father was convinced it was a side-effect of the procedure. It wasn’t until he reviewed Erskine’s notes that he believed I’d been an alpha all along.” 

“Yeah, sounds like Pops. He had a nasty habit of taking credit where it wasn’t necessarily deserved.” 

“That wasn’t the worst part,” Steve continued. “At one point, I overheard Howard saying something about a ‘breeding program’ to one of the brass. I shut that down pretty quickly. Told them I’d be damned if I’d be put out to stud.” 

“Did Peggy know about you and Barnes?” Tony asked before he could think better of the question. 

“Yeah. She caught us once; him ‘n me were supposed to be going over a mission briefing, but we were gettin’ a little handsy instead.” Steve paused again; Tony would have given anything to know what Steve was thinking, or even see his face. “But she didn’t peach on us; if any of the brass had found out, it woulda got us both kicked out of the Army.” Steve was quiet for some time, then spoke as if to himself, “I loved them both, you know, just in different ways.” 

“And I’m sure they loved you right back.” Tony was at a loss of what else to say. Although his relationship with Rhodey was very different from Steve’s connection to Barnes, he knew he couldn’t have made a choice between his dearest friend and Pepper; he cared deeply for each of them. The quiet continued through the the remaining miles, with Tony so focused on flying the suit low and slow that he simply let his thoughts roam free without paying any particular attention to them. 

He spoke up as as they approached the city. “Hey, Cap, I’m gonna take a shortcut across town; meet you back at the Tower.” His muscles were aching both from the crash landing and the extra effort he was putting into the flight, and the suit was getting claustrophobic. 

“Roger that - just don’t push too hard, okay?” Steve’s concern was both mildly annoying and oddly touching. 

“Yes, dear,” Tony sassed back and hit the thrusters, doubling his speed almost instantly. It took just a few minutes to get to the Tower, and JARVIS already had the landing gantry ready to go. It took more effort than he’d expected to stay on his feet once the armor was disassembled. Tony removed the electrode net from his scalp and stripped off the undersuit almost immediately as the fever and chills had started back up about an hour into their trip and he was glazed with sweat, as well as sand and salt. 

Tony ducked under the pool shower briefly to rinse off the worst of the grime, then sank into the Jacuzzi with a grateful sigh. Roofed over and sheltered on three sides, it was downright cozy. “Just gonna rest my eyes for a bit, m’kay, JARVIS? Let Steve know where I am....”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit on the short side and talk-heavy, but I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter anyways! And I'm fairly sure I'm wrapping up the fic with Chapter 17, so there's that.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at the Tower, Tony and Steve eventually get around to talking about the kiss on the beach, as well as what brought both of them to that point. Better communication (and more physical contact!) results.

“Tony?” 

Tony started awake at the sound of Steve’s voice; he hadn’t meant to doze off in the hot tub. Shaking his head to dispel the cobwebs, he managed a “Hrm?” in reply. 

“I was getting hungry, so I swung by a deli on the way back home,” Steve held up a large take-out bag as he walked towards the hot tub. “Picked up a few sandwiches, and their soup of the day was chicken noodle, so I got some of that too.” 

“You are an angel and I don’t deserve you.” Tony started to get out of the jacuzzi; belatedly remembering that he hadn’t bothered to put anything back on after his brief shower. “Um, could you pass me a towel or two?” 

“Sure,” Steve handed over a stack, then hurriedly turned his back as he realized exactly why Tony needed them. Surely he’d seen the reactor; had probably read about it in Tony’s file. But there hadn’t been a trace of disgust or morbid fascination in Steve’s expression, just a brief flash of embarrassment before he looked away. Interesting. 

Wrapping a towel around his waist and another around his shoulders, Tony cleared his throat. “When you have a chance, could you pass the soup?” Steve passed it over, then stripped off his jacket before starting to eat. Steve’s unfairly tight Army t-shirt, damp around the neck and down the back from where the rain had gotten in around the collar of his jacket, triggered a stirring in Tony’s interest. But to avoid the elephant in the room -- their kiss on the beach -- he threw out another question instead. 

“Apropos of nothing, and if you don’t mind me asking, how did Barnes make it into the army in the first place, being an omega and all?” 

“He lied,” Steve responded matter-of-factly. “It’s not like anyone thought a namby-pamby milksop omega would even want to enlist. He toughed it out through basic training and told me later that once he got overseas he was too damn busy to even think about it. He never even went through a cycle til after Kreischberg.” 

“That was the POW camp, where he met the other Commandos? The one you busted them out of?” Tony asked. 

“Yeah, hit him real hard after that. Thank god I was there.” Steve’s voice trailed off and Tony nodded in sympathy. He understood better than most what Barnes must’ve gone through.

“It wasn’t til after I got back from Afghanistan, and after taking out Stane that it all hit me,” Tony admitted. “Delayed reaction probably made it worse. That’s when Rhodey and I....” He made a vague gesture. 

“Wait, I thought you two knew each other in college,” Steve’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “I figured that’s when you got together.” 

“No, no,” Tony explained. “I was a child prodigy - started college when I was fifteen. Rhodey had two years on me and was already at the Air Force Academy when I presented. I told him about being an omega back then, but with him being straight, and me on the suppressants, we never even considered it until there wasn’t much other choice. So what about you and Barnes?” 

“We knew each other since we were kids. So when it all started, we just kind of figured it out on our own.” Steve shrugged and blushed a little. “If it hadn’t been for my ma, we’d’ve gotten in trouble pretty quickly.” At Tony’s puzzled look, Steve added, “She was a nurse. Told us what was what and helped us be careful.” 

Tony could only imagine what kind of scandal a pregnant male omega would have caused back then; it was tabloid fodder even nowadays, regardless of who the other parent was. Tony was still finding it hard to wrap his mind around Barnes being an omega, much less that the slight, sickly young man Steve had been before Project Rebirth had been his alpha.

That same young man, transformed and thrown through time, now sat before him. Tony thought he understood a little better now why Steve had made the offer to help him with his heat; perhaps he simply wanted a reminder of who and what he had once been. That he was important to someone not because he was Captain America, but because he was their most intimate companion. And naturally, he craved that intimacy again; even if just for a short period of time. This realization made the offer somehow easier to consider for Tony. 

Steve crumpled up the last of his trash and rubbed his arms briskly. “I’m gonna go change into some dry clothes.” 

“Wait,” Tony said, before he lost his courage. “Why don’t you join me in the hot tub for awhile? There’s a shower around the corner and several spare swim trunks on the shelf. In fact, lemme go grab one for myself first.” 

“Okay, Tony.” Steve gave him a shy, hopeful smile, as if he recognized the effort Tony was making, and appreciated it. “I’ll clean up the trash while you change.” 

Tony ducked into the changing room and returned a few minutes later. Feeling much less self-conscious now that he was at least partially clothed, he slipped back into the welcome warmth of the jacuzzi. But even after mentally bracing himself, Tony was left a bit breathless at seeing Steve’s magnificent frame clad in nothing but a pair of shorts. Steve’s sigh of contentment as he sank down into the tub certainly didn’t help Tony’s overactive imagination; he was thankful that the bubbling water obscured exactly how the view was affecting him. 

“So, the, uh, there on the beach. Was that just a ‘thank god you’re okay’ check in that got a bit out of hand, or an alpha/omega thing or what?” Tony asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer. 

“Yes?” Steve’s response was accompanied by a slow blush that spread down his neck onto his chest in a most distracting manner. “I mean, it was a little of both, and maybe something more.”

Tony’s heart skipped a beat, even as he struggled to not get his hopes up. “That’s the thing, though. How much of that ‘something more’ is just our hormones? I don’t want us to get all caught up in the moment only to regret it afterwards.” 

Steve’s eyes narrowed. “That sounds like the voice of experience talking... is that what happened with you and Rhodes? Or ... wait... what about the fling you mentioned earlier? Was that with an alpha as well?” 

“Not quite,” Tony replied, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. “And ‘fling’ wasn’t exactly a fair description, either. His name was Ty Stone, and he was an alpha wanna-be who caught me at a vulnerable moment.” Tony found himself telling Steve all about Ty, more than he’d even told Rhodey. How at first Ty had treated him so well, and Tony had felt protected and cherished. He would have done anything for his lover in return; Tony had even stopped taking the suppressants for a while, just because Ty asked him to. 

With the luxury of hindsight, Tony had realized that was the beginning of the end. When Tony didn’t immediately become the stereotypical submissive, sex-hungry omega in heat, Ty’s dominant behavior kicked into high gear. He’d tried to force a bonding, and Tony refused, twisting out from under him when he felt Ty’s teeth on his neck. “So when he finally hit me, I left.” Tony finished. 

“Tony, you know he had it all wrong, don’t you? That’s not what a alpha/omega relationship is supposed to be like at all.” Steve’s voice was cautious and full of concern. “No wonder you haven’t wanted anything to do with me.” 

“I know now. And it’s not that I’ve been trying to avoid you, Steve. Well, mostly not. It’s that I’m afraid I’ll ask you for too much.” Vague but true; Tony was an expert at lies of omission. 

“It’s okay to ask, Tony. Alphas know how to say ‘no’, too.” Steve made a wry smile as he parroted Tony’s words back at him. “I wouldn’t have offered if I hadn’t meant it.” 

“Is that offer still open?” Tony was tired of resisting, of holding back. If it was a mistake, well, he’d cope with the fallout later. 

“Yes, Tony. Tell me what you want, what you need.” Steve’s gaze was intense, his alpha scent suddenly wrapping around them as if to block out the rest of the world. 

“Kiss me again, sunshine, and we’ll go from there.” 

Kissing and being kissed by Steve was like nothing else Tony had experienced with any partner; man or woman. Steve simply focused all of his attention on the moment; nothing else existed. The urgency and caution of their first kiss was gone, replaced by a calm certainty. This was good, this was right. They were where they needed to be -- together. 

Even if it were just a reaction to the pheromones, Tony didn’t care. He poured his whole being into the kiss without reservation or restraint. All of his pent up need came flooding out, and he would have drowned except for Steve’s strong arms around him. 

But when Steve’s fingers brushed the edge of the arc reactor, Tony froze. His heart rabbitted as he fought back the irrational panic, repeating to himself, _Steve is not Obie, Steve is not Obie..._

“Tony....what’s wrong?” Steve carefully asked as he moved slowly away from Tony, hands clearly in view. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” 

Taking a deep shaky breath, Tony answered, “No, it wasn’t you. Just a bad memory, a flashback to when Stane took the arc reactor right out of my chest. He zapped me with a gadget. I couldn’t move. Said it was the last golden egg I laid for him. He used it to power his goddamned suit.” 

“My god, Tony.” Steve’s eyes were wide, and his fists were clenched. “What happened? How did you...” 

“The prototype reactor was down in my workshop. Pepper had a case made for it, labeled it ‘Proof Tony Stark Has a Heart’. Dum-E, my robot, helped me. Then I put on my armor and went after Stane.” 

Steve clenched his jaw, his eyes going stormy for a moment. “That bastard. He got away too easy.” Tony wasn’t sure if Steve was referring to the the cover story of Obie’s death in a plane crash, or if JARVIS had provided him with the facts. Either way, he kind of had to agree. 

Then Steve’s expression softened, and Tony could see the apology forming on his lips. But before he had a chance to say a word, Tony took Steve’s hand and placed it on his chest, right over the casing. Steve in turn let it rest there, didn’t flinch, or show any signs of revulsion. 

“This doesn’t bother you? That I’ve got a glowing chunk of tech embedded in my chest?” It had taken Pepper a while to get used to, and a faint sense of squeamishness about it had lingered throughout their relationship. Maybe asking her to help him switch out the prototype had been a mistake. 

“I hate what happened to put it there, but it’s what’s keeping you alive, darlin’. That’s plenty good enough for me.” Steve carefully traced a finger around the edge of the casing. “Besides, it’s beautiful.” 

With his other hand, Steve reached up and traced along Tony’s cheek and jaw, and Tony leaned into his touch while trying to stifle a yawn. “It’s been a long day, hasn’t it, darlin’?” 

“Yeah. How’s about we get out of here, put on some comfortable clothes and watch a movie?” He saw a flash of disappointment in Steve’s eyes, but Tony had thought back to the orientation material Hill had sent him and wanted to clear the air a little before taking a further step towards physical intimacy. Tony had to know how seriously Steve had taken those oh-so-biased guidelines. 

 

They met back up about ten minutes later, Tony curled up next to Steve, who was already sitting on the sofa. He reached out to place an arm around Tony’s shoulders as he said, “Think it’s your turn to pick.” 

“Before we get settled in, Steve, I want to ask you about something.” 

Steve’s brow wrinkled in concern. “What’s that?” 

“Well, remember, how at Coulson’s funeral, Deputy Hill pulled me aside for a bit?” 

“Yeah,” Steve growled, his arm tightening possessively around Tony. 

“She was trying to protect me from the other alphas in the crowd by getting me downwind,” Tony hastened to explain. “Anyways, Hill sent me a copy of some of the orientation material SHIELD put together for you. In particular, the info on alpha/omega relations.” 

Steve’s snort of derision took Tony by surprise. “Yeah, I looked through that.”

“And?” Tony wasn’t sure how to take Steve’s reaction. 

“Everything else I’d been reading, that I’d been told, made it seem like things had gotten better, in terms of tolerance and equality for people who are different. But when I got to that file? It made it sound like nothing had changed. Maybe even gotten worse.” 

Fingers flexing against Tony’s shoulder, Steve continued. “Bonding is a meaningful, heartfelt connection, Tony. It’s a partnership, that makes both of you better people. Not a trap, or a ball and chain to be avoided at all costs.” Steve’s voice had gotten a little shaky, and he paused to collect himself. “And they made knotting sound like something dirty, something to be ashamed of. It’s not like that at all.” 

“I don’t even want to tell you what I heard some alphas at SHIELD saying one day. Made me a little sick to my stomach, the way they talked about omegas, like they were playthings instead of people.” Steve ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “Is that really the way things are now?” 

“Well, maybe not the locker room talk so much, but yeah, the stereotypes about fickle, flighty, demanding omegas are still out there,” Tony admitted. “That’s why I’ve been pretending to be normal for decades.” 

“Oh, darlin’,” Steve said, taking Tony’s face carefully in his hands. “You’re wonderful just the way you are and I’m so sorry you were ever made to feel differently.” He kissed Tony gently and sweetly. “Still up for a movie?” 

“Sure,” Tony replied, his heart buoyed up by Steve’s words. “JARVIS, queue up _A Princess Bride_.” 

During the opening scene, Tony rearranged himself so his head was on Steve’s lap. “If... make that ‘when’ I fall asleep, don’t leave me alone,” he asked quietly. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Tony make their first steps towards a coupling, sharing pleasure between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI - this chapter skates the line between Mature and Explicit -- check the additional tags, as the Eventual Smut pretty much starts here.

Tony awoke about two-thirds through the film to find himself still on the couch, with Steve spooned up close behind him. His head was pillowed on one of Steve’s well-muscled arms, with the other wrapped around Tony’s chest, and their feet were tangled together under the shield blanket. They fit together almost perfectly, and the physical contact, combined with Steve’s breath ghosting softly against his neck, rekindled the desire he’d felt earlier that day. Tony shifted slightly, trying to resist the impulse to grind back against Steve. 

Noticing that Tony was awake, Steve pulled him closer and nuzzled behind his ear. “Mmmm. You smell so good.” 

“I do?” Tony had wondered what his omega scent was like; Ty hadn’t ever mentioned it, and it didn’t seem right to bring it up with Rhodey. He asked Pepper once, but she said she couldn’t quite describe it.

“Mm-hmm. Like hot metal, or the sun on wet stone.” 

“Huh, that’s ... oddly specific.” 

Steve shrugged and smiled against Tony’s skin. “It suits you. How about me? What do I smell like?” 

Tony used the question as an excuse to twist around and tuck his head into the crook of Steve’s neck, as if his scent hadn’t been completely surrounding them all evening. “Outdoors-ish and woodsy. Like walking through Central Park on a fall afternoon.” 

“Do you like it?” 

“Of course I do, sunshine.” 

“Do you like me?” The question, half-flirty and half-serious, warmed Tony’s heart. 

“You can’t tell? Guess I should make it a bit more obvious...” Tony replied, playfully nipping at Steve’s collarbone. 

Steve’s rumbling hum of interest was just the response Tony was looking for. Sliding a hand up under Tony’s shirt, Steve traced shapes on his lower back, while with the other, he tipped Tony’s chin up to claim his lips in a sensual, demanding kiss. Tony snaked his arms around Steve’s neck to play with his hair, pressing their bodies close. 

After several minutes of increasingly urgent making out, Steve suggested in a low, sultry voice, “It’s a little cramped here on the couch -- how about we head off to bed, darlin’?” When Tony paused, he quickly added, “We can just sleep together, if you’d rather.” 

“And what if I don’t want to just sleep?” Everything about being so close to Steve, both physically and emotionally, was tipping Tony right over the edge. And while a small part of him still wanted to resist, to deny the unthinking, animal nature of his urges, he knew this was different. He was making a choice, and his choice was to be with Steve. And somehow Steve was choosing him as well. 

“Oh, I think we can come up with something else to do, doll.” 

 

They ended up in Tony’s suite, since he knew what supplies he had handy. And it also seemed, well, ‘safer’ wasn’t the word, but somewhere he felt more at ease, at any rate. Tony asked JARVIS to dim the lights, but he still felt a little self-conscious as he got undressed. He snuck a few peeks at Steve, who stripped down without a second thought. An even though a good portion of that physique had been on display in the hot tub earlier, Tony still could barely tear his eyes away. 

As they got into bed together, Steve let his gaze linger on the arc reactor. “It really is amazing, Tony ... and so are you.” 

“Flattery will get you everywhere, sunshine,” he replied, brushing off the compliment. 

“It’s not flattery. I mean it. The armor alone, much less what you’ve accomplished with it--” 

“Less talking, more smooching,” Tony interrupted. He wasn’t used to sincere admiration, finding it disconcerting at best. But as they picked things up from where they’d left off on the sofa, Tony realized he honestly didn’t know what to expect next. Ty had almost always been in a hurry to get what he wanted in bed, and only sometimes did that include Tony getting off as well. 

As for what he and Rhodey had done? Well, Tony was pretty sure that wasn’t Standard Operating Procedure for a coupling, either. He assumed alpha/omega porn was just as inaccurate as the rest, which left him at a bit of a loss. 

Tony did his best to push those concerns aside, and thanks to Steve’s careful attention, he mostly succeeded. He had thought himself lost in the moment before; but now, with the warm, broad expanse of Steve’s naked body pressed against his, Tony could barely string two thoughts together. Every touch, every kiss simply fanned the flames of desire. He wasn’t the only one ready for action, either, based on what Tony felt rubbing hot and hard against his thigh. 

So when Steve’s hand wandered down to caress his hip, Tony made a logical assumption. He broke away from their kiss to say, “Hold that thought, hot stuff,” and reached into the nightstand to grab a bottle. “A wonder of the modern age. Tons better than spit or Vaseline. Hand towels are in here too, for afterwards.” 

Steve looked nonplussed for a moment, then shrugged as he took the lube from Tony. “All right. Lay back for me, sugar. Wanna touch you, make you feel good. Is that okay?” 

“It’s why we’re here, isn’t it?” Tony’s nerves had gotten the better of him for a moment, and he regretted the sharp remark the moment it came out. 

“That’s not exactly an answer, Tony,” Steve’s response was mild, but Tony could feel the tension in his muscles. Steve was holding himself in check, and it wasn’t fair to tease him. 

So Tony pulled Steve in and gave him the hottest, filthiest kiss he could. “Yes, please.”   
He leaned back, closing his eyes as he raised one knee and spread his legs slightly. Steve took his time, drawing slow circles up Tony’s thigh, eliciting murmurs of pleasure. He expected Steve to test just how ready he was to receive an alpha; so Tony’s gasp was equal amounts of surprise and pleasure when Steve curled his hand around his shaft instead, with a firm, yet gentle grasp.

Tony’s eyes flew back open and he saw Steve smiling down at him, eyes heavy lidded. “How’s that, doll? Just lemme take care of you, now...” The low rumble of his voice only added to Tony’s impending sensory overload. As Steve continued his stroking, varying the speed and pressure with an occasional twist of the wrist, Tony kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. He was convinced that any minute now, Steve would stop what he was doing, ask (or tell) Tony to change position, or at the very least to start returning the favor, but Steve’s attention seemed wholly focused on Tony’s pleasure. 

It didn’t take long until his arousal was building to a peak, and with a shuddering moan, Tony climaxed. It was more powerful than he’d expected, clearing his mind of all thought for a moment. Steve held him through the aftershocks, kissing him softly as he caught his breath. 

After getting cleaned up, Tony turned to Steve with a lazy, satisfied smile. “That was amazing, loverboy. What’s next?” 

“Why don’t you get some sleep, sweetheart? You had a tough day.” Steve smoothed Tony’s hair back from his sweaty forehead tenderly, but he was breathing hard and his pupils were blown wide.

“Oh no. Tony Stark has never left a bedmate twisting in the wind and I’ll be damned if I start now. What can I do for you?” He waited for a reply from Steve, and when none was forthcoming, traced fingers across Steve’s chest, trailing lower as he spoke. “I do have a few ideas of my own, if you’re not gonna speak up. I’d like to to taste you, sunshine, run my tongue up and down your length. I want to wrap my lips around you, take you as deep as I can. Sound good?” 

Steve inhaled sharply, eyes fluttering shut. “Yes, god yes...” 

Tony trailed a series of kisses, licks and nips down Steve’s body. While Tony enjoyed going down on his partners, he was out of practice at giving head, as it had been over two decades since he’d last done so. Regardless, Steve seemed quite appreciative; his gasps and groans encouraging Tony to more creative exploits. And despite Steve’s warning that he was getting close, Tony was determined to see the experience through, taking the alpha deep as he came, not letting up until Steve’s breathy moans of release had subsided. 

Tony licked his lips, dropped one last kiss on Steve’s thigh, then slid back up next to his lover, waiting for those gorgeous blue eyes to open back up. “That was wonderful, darlin’,” Steve sighed happily. “No reason to hurry things... let’s call it a night.” He pulled Tony close and buried his face in Tony’s hair. 

Suddenly exhausted, Tony stroked the strong arm wrapped around him possessively as he wished Steve a good night. The reply was muffled, and Tony almost asked him to repeat it, but slipped off to sleep before he had the chance. 

 

As soon as he awoke the next morning, Tony felt that familiar hollow ache settling low in his belly, his skin practically buzzing with desire. But neither of those sensations triggered the anxious, almost painful neediness he remembered from before. No, this felt more like the giddy anticipation of climbing the first lift hill of your favorite roller coaster. It seemed their activities of the night before had kicked him into the peak of his heat, and with an alpha lying next to him, all systems were go. Tony took a deep breath, filling his lungs with Steve’s scent, both soothing and arousing. He stretched luxuriously, running a bare foot down Steve’s shin. 

“Mornin’, darlin’,” Steve greeted him with a morning-rough voice. Tony opened his eyes to see his bed partner just a few inches away, a eager, restless look on his face. “How ya feelin’?” 

“Like I’m ready for a second round, and maybe more,” Tony replied, running one hand over Steve’s bare chest. “Then again, scratch that ‘maybe’.” 

Steve’s nostrils flared as he gave Tony a wolfish grin. “ ‘S what I was hopin’ you’d say.” He delivered a searing kiss, taking Tony’s breath away. “Tell me what you want, sweetheart. Tell me what you need.” 

Tony Stark had never been a man to surrender to anything, but he was ready to give himself over to Steve. “I need you. Need you to touch me like no one truly has before. Need you filling me up, making me whole.” The words tumbled from Tony’s lips; he couldn’t hold them back. “Need to feel like I can’t tell where my body ends and yours begins.” 

“I’ll do my very best, sugar. Gonna take such good care of you.” Steve replied, giving Tony another deep, passionate kiss. 

Tony had always enjoyed foreplay; giving as gladly and freely as he took, the moans and gasps he could wring from his bedmate only increasing his own pleasure. Being in heat, well, that brought the experience to an entirely new level. Tony reveled in every touch from Steve, as if his entire body were an erogenous zone. As they pressed close to one another, it seemed they were only moments away from a passionate coupling. 

But then Steve pulled away from their embrace with a regretful grimace. “Hate to break the mood, darlin’, but what about rubbers?” 

“Don’t need ‘em,” Tony replied quickly, 

“Are you sure, sweetheart?” The mingled caution and hope in Steve’s voice gave Tony pause. Did he think that Tony was was willing, maybe even eager to start a family, to bear his child? That would -- could -- never happen; the hopes and dreams Tony hadn’t even realized he’d let himself believe in fell to pieces, with guilt and self-loathing rising up in their place. 

“Yeah,” Tony replied, not meeting Steve’s eyes. “Side effect of being on the suppressants for so long. Docs say I’m sterile.” 

“Oh,” Steve’s quiet reply sounded as if he’d taken a punch to the gut. “I didn’t know.” 

“Well, now you do.” It was the perfect moment to make a clean break. To let Steve get on with his life the way he was supposed to. The Fates had given this brave, selfless man a second chance at a happily ever after and Tony was not going to stand in his way. “So, yeah. Guess this was a mistake, after all.”

“A mistake? What do you--” Taking advantage of Steve’s bewilderment, Tony sat up, shrugging off the alpha’s hand on his arm. 

“It’s okay. We don’t need to do this. You can go.” It took every ounce of determination Tony could dredge up to keep his voice steady. 

“Wait, Tony, let’s talk about--” 

“Nothing to be said, Cap. It was fun while it lasted. See you around.” Tony stood, walked across the room to the ensuite and closed the door behind him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony retreats to his refuge, only to find that Steve is not about to go down without a fight. The alpha makes his feelings and intentions clear, and our boys finally get to finish what they started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the rating on this fic finally tipped over to Explicit. If smut isn't your thing, you can skip from the dashed line pretty much to the last few lines of this chapter.

Tony leaned heavily against the tile wall as cold water beat down over his body. The icy droplets coursing through his hair and down his back provided both penance and relief. Chilled to the bone -- but his core still aflame -- Tony turned the knob to lukewarm, grabbed a washcloth and soap and proceeded to scrub Steve’s scent off himself. He winced when the cloth scraped across the tender, swollen node at his nape. “Quiet, you,” he mumbled. “False alarm.”

Roughly toweling himself dry, Tony rummaged in his closet, finally choosing a pair of sweatpants and one of Rhodey’s old MIT shirts, worn so thin that the reactor shone brightly through the fabric. 

“JARVIS, is Captain Rogers still here?” he asked quietly. 

“If by ‘here’, Sir, you mean your suite, then no.” 

“Then where is he?” 

“Captain Rogers is still in the building.” That was a relief, Tony supposed; he hadn’t run the guy completely out of house and home. 

“Set the ventilation fans to high, please.” He’d worry about getting the sheets changed later; he planned on spending the next few days (if not the rest of his life) in his workshop.

“Certainly, Sir.” Tony heard the soft whirr of the HVAC’s increase in speed. Not bothering with socks, he slipped on his favorite pair of Chuck Taylors and made a beeline for the elevators, trying not to inhale too deeply as he passed back through the bedroom. Steve’s scent still hung thick in the air and his body reacted without his volition, a twinge of lust coiling low in his gut. 

The elevator was a welcome refuge. “JARVIS, complete blackout protocol for the workshop. Opaque walls, speakers cranked to eleven, no calls routed through unless it’s literally the end of the world. You know the drill.” 

“But, sir, I --” 

“No backtalk, J. Not now. Please.” 

“Very well.” As the elevator descended at a suspiciously slow rate, Tony found the words of a Millay poem coming to mind:

> Well, I have lost you; and I lost you fairly;  
>  In my own way, and with my full consent.  
>  Say what you will, kings in a tumbrel rarely  
>  Went to their deaths more proud than this one went.  
> 

Good old Edna had a flair for the dramatic; no wonder he liked her stuff. The elevator doors finally opened, and Tony strode across the hall to the refuge of his workshop, where AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” was already booming from the speakers. 

He was mildly startled to see the lights were on, and even more so to see Steve slowly standing up from where he’d been sitting at one of the workbenches, hands partially shielding his ears. He was wearing the same clothes from the night before, as if he’d come directly there without bothering to shower or change. 

“JARVIS!” Tony yelled, and the AI turned the music down. “What the hell is Cap doing in my workshop? A workshop, may I remind you, that is currently under blackout?” 

“Captain Rogers entered the workshop before the blackout order was in place, sir. You had previously granted him access, so I did not think it amiss.” The only time Tony could remember that he’d done so when was Steve had brought lunch in that one afternoon. He suspected his turncoat AI was playing fast and loose with his programming again. He was about to argue the point when Steve spoke. 

“Tony, I’m not sure what happened just now, why you walked away. I was trying to do the right thing, and when you said we didn’t need protection, well, I guess my alpha took over for a moment.” He shook his head ruefully. 

“Your alpha was right,” Tony argued. “After everything you’ve been through, everything you’ve had to give up, you deserve more. Go find someone you can start a family with. Someone worthy of your love.” It was breaking Tony’s heart to say those words, but Steve’s happiness meant more to him than his own.

“Tony, it’s not that simple.” Steve’s voice was firm, with just a touch of alpha authority. “For people like us, people who can do what we do; love and family is a weakness, a way we can be manipulated. Whoever we care about becomes a target. Surely you realized that with Pepper.”

“That’s not fair,” Tony replied hoarsely. He thought of the Stark Expo and how he could have so easily lost her to one of Vanko’s drones. Then there were the nightmares where some shadowy figure had kidnapped them and was torturing Pepper, demanding Tony destroy the armor, or worse.

“You’re right, it isn’t fair. We do foolish, dangerous things when we’re in love. I put both your father and Peggy at risk when I went after Bucky in Azzano. Then I asked him to go back in and fight with me when I should have sent him home. After he fell, I was so consumed by revenge I couldn’t think straight.” Steve’s voice trembled slightly as he held Tony’s gaze. 

“So, if Fury and Thor are right and the battle against Loki and those creatures was just the beginning,” Tony responded, “you’re saying that falling in love is the last thing any of us should be doing.” 

“Yeah, but sometimes it happens anyways,” Steve’s reply was soft, but sincere. “Good thing I found the right partner. Someone strong, and smart and brave who can take care of himself, but will let me care for him, too.” With a gentle, hopeful smile, Steve held a hand out to Tony. “Besides, without love, there wouldn’t be much worth fighting for, would there?” 

The small cautious flicker of longing that had been burning inside Tony burst into a bonfire of hope and joy. “You sure you know what you’re getting into here, Cap?” He stepped forward unsteadily and as he was pulled into a tender embrace, Tony confessed, “I’ve been told I’m quite a handful.” 

“Headstrong brunets seem to be my type.” Steve said with a grin, bending down to softly press their lips together. 

Tony basked in the certainty behind the kiss -- they truly did belong together, and would take care of each other. He shivered with pleasure as Steve placed a hand tenderly on the back of his neck; combined with the alpha scent, it sparked a sudden, hot need, even as the underlying current of _Safe. Protected. Home._ calmed and reassured him. 

Breaking off the kiss for just a moment, Tony said, “We still have a little unfinished business, don’t we, loverboy?” 

“S’pose that we do.” 

\-----------------  
They couldn’t keep their hands off each other during the blessedly brief elevator trip back up to Tony’s suite, and a trail of discarded clothing led from the front door to the bedroom. With a last-minute hip-check, Tony toppled Steve onto the bed before pouncing on top of him. Straddling Steve’s thighs and holding his hands down to his sides, Tony crowed, “Ha! Bet you didn’t expect your omega could take you down, didja, Alpha-boy?” 

Steve easily broke free from Tony’s hold, but simply rested his hands on Tony’s hips, rubbing slow circles on his skin. “I like the sound of that... ‘my omega’.” The last two words came out in almost a purr, and Steve’s eyes glittered with both desire and a touch of avarice as he slid his hands up Tony’s sides to pull him down into a possessive, passionate kiss. “All mine.” 

Steve’s words and his talented tongue, along with the feel of skin on skin, combined to set Tony’s core afire again. He knew he wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less than his alpha deep inside, claiming and fulfilling him. 

Steve suddenly pulled back from the kiss. “Tony, you said that when you and Rhodes got together, he didn’t knot you, right?” 

“Yeah,” Tony replied, confused and more than a little wary. Was this a bit of alpha jealousy? Or about the whole ‘can’t have kids’ deal? They’d gotten sidetracked from that discussion, and it was probably only a matter of time before it reared its ugly head. 

“Because I don’t think I can hold myself back like that, darlin’,” Steve continued. “And... well.... Buck said it hurt the first few times. Do you want me to pull out right at the end? ”

“Not a chance, hot stuff. I want everything you can give me.” Which was true, if a perhaps a bit ambitious. So Tony relented a little, saying, “Maybe go on the slow side, though. It’s been awhile.” 

Steve ran his hand down Tony’s back and over the curve of his ass, sliding into the cleft with a single fingertip. Gasping with pleasure, Tony arched his back almost instinctively. He shot Steve a mock-dirty look. “Not so sure that’s ‘taking it slow’, sunshine.” 

“Couldn’t resist,” Steve smirked, then rolled them over, boxing Tony in with his elbows and knees on either side. With a glance down at Tony’s already hard cock, he drawled, “Besides, I don’t think you really wanna wait very much longer, do ya, sugar?” 

And in one, fluid motion, Steve slid down Tony’s body and licked a broad stripe up his length, smiling with shameless delight at the throaty moan his action had provoked. Steve then traced circles with his tongue up and down Tony’s inner thighs, nipping gently along the way.

“M-m-more, please,” Tony stuttered. “Need you, alpha.” That garnered a desperate groan from Steve as he surged back up to give Tony a fierce, nearly bruising kiss before reaching one long arm up to the nightstand to snag the bottle of lube they’d used the night before. Steve then dropped back down to pick up where he’d left off, with a tantalizing swirl of his tongue over the tip of Tony’s cock. 

“Gonna take the edge off for ya first, sweetheart. Just lay back and let me take care of you.” Steve proceeded to give Tony one of the most intense blowjobs of his life. While some of it was surely due to being at the peak of his heat, Steve’s skill and dedication played a large part as well. Apparently super-soldiers could hold their breath for an unbelievably long time and Tony’s whole world quickly narrowed down to the sensation of Steve’s mouth, teeth and tongue.

Tony flinched slightly when he felt a cool, slick finger pressing against him, more out of surprise than discomfort. “Yes, please,” he begged, and Steve obliged, his finger sliding easily inside. 

“Oh darlin’, you’re openin’ so sweet for me, aren’tcha?” Steve crooned. “So easy, so slick already, barely had to use any lube at all.” He crooked his finger, and Tony saw stars. “You gonna come for me like this?” Steve asked, sliding another finger in as he took Tony’s cock deep down his throat. Tony writhed and moaned, clutching at Steve’s shoulders as he fought for control. 

“N-n-not sure I got more than one in me right now,” Tony gasped. His stamina wasn’t what it used to be, and he wanted to save himself, not to come until Steve was inside him. 

“I’m willing to take that chance. I could do this all day.” He wrapped those sinful lips around Tony’s straining cock again, engulfing his entire length, flexing throat muscles to squeeze the head tightly as a third finger slid home. 

Tony couldn’t hold back any more, his climax rushing over him like a tidal wave. An animalistic moan ripping from his throat, Tony thrust his hands into Steve’s hair, fingers flexing uncontrollably. The slow easy motion of Steve’s fingers still inside him, combined with the lingering touch of Steve’s lips on his cock extended the ecstasy almost beyond what Tony could bear. 

As a high-pitched whine escaped from Tony’s lips, his lover murmured words of praise. “So good for me, doll. Look so sweet when you’re fallin’ apart.” After a few more strokes, Steve carefully withdrew his hand. When Tony whimpered at the loss, his alpha stretched out next to him and held him close. “Shh, darlin’. Gonna give you what you need as soon as you say the word.” 

Tony took a few moments to catch his breath. But instead of the lassitude he normally felt after such a powerful orgasm, it was as if it had only whet his appetite. “Ready when you are, C.B.,” he purred, assuming that Steve would want to mount him from behind. 

Steve put a hand on Tony’s hip, stopping him before he could turn over completely and get on his hands and knees. “Hold on, sweetheart. I wanna see your face.” He grabbed a few pillows from the head of the bed, tucking them under Tony’s hips as he lay back down. “Lift this leg up for me.” Steve knelt, giving Tony a lingering caress before lining himself up to press in.

Despite their previous intimate contact, Tony realized he perhaps had underestimated Steve’s size. But the pain was temporary, and it was only a moment before his body began to welcome his alpha in. As Steve slowly alternated pushing in and pulling back, going just a bit deeper each time, Tony felt every inch of the slide into him, setting his nerves on fire in the best way. Once he was buried to the hilt, Steve paused to let his omega’s body fully adjust. 

“How’s that feel, sugar?” Steve’s voice was soft and encouraging, and Tony was sure that if he’d shown any sign of distress or discomfort, Steve would have backed off instantly. 

Tony instead responded with a roll of his hips. “Couldn’t be better. Let’s get the show on the road, stud.” Steve’s thrusting started out careful and deliberate, but Tony’s wanton moans and pleas for ‘faster’ and ‘deeper’ finally kicked things into gear. Tony liked it a little rough (and Ty had certainly been one to oblige) but even as Steve increased his pace and varied his depth, there was still tenderness and care. Steve kissed every inch of Tony he could reach, and Tony stroked and petted over Steve’s bare skin, reveling in the contact. Sparks of pleasure shot through Tony as Steve’s dick rubbed against his prostate.

And when Steve wrapped one slicked-up hand around Tony’s cock, it quickly grew hard again. Stroking up and down, squeezing just tightly enough and matching the pace of his hips, Steve murmured, “Wanna make you come again, doll. Feel you shake and shudder all around me.” 

“Keep saying stuff like that, loverboy, and it’s a distinct possibility,” Tony gasped out. Dirty talk was a turn on for him; even more so coming from someone supposedly so squeaky-clean. He rocked his hips back and forth, trying to find just the right counterpoint to Steve’s rhythm. 

“You feel amazing, sugar. So hot, so tight. Like you were made for me.” The sexy whisper into Tony’s ear was all it took to push him over the edge. Steve didn’t let up, hand still tight around Tony’s dick as he continued sliding in and out. Tony’s second orgasm was even stronger than the first, clenching tightly around his lover as his cock erupted in warm, wet spurts between them. 

Steve didn’t last much longer, his thrusts growing erratic. He pushed deep and came with a shout. Almost immediately, Tony felt the stretch and burn start again as his alpha’s knot started to form. It was intense, so soon after his own release, and Tony panted harshly to cope with the nearly overwhelming sensation of pressure and fullness. 

“Just a few moments more, darlin’. Doin’ so good for me. Feels like heaven, being inside you...” Steve’s murmurs of apology and comfort as he held his lover close reassured Tony, and once the knot was complete, Steve carefully shifted position to take some of his weight off Tony while still keeping as much of their bodies in contact as possible. 

Tony had never felt safer, or more at peace; Steve’s body a bulwark against the outside world. He looked up into his alpha’s face, to see an impossibly fond smile shining down on him, and Tony couldn’t hold back the words any longer. 

“I love you, Steve.”

“And I love you, Tony.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're interested in reading the full Edna St. Vincent Millay poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/edna_st__vincent_millay/poems/20140


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three months have passed since the Battle of New York, and things have changed, both around the city and in the Tower. Bruce Banner took up Tony's invitation to come and stay, and Steve has been out on a tour of the country, courtesy of SHIELD. Has distance made the heart grow fonder? Tony isn't so sure.

It was the three-month anniversary of the Battle of New York, and the news shows were all focused on the progress of the city’s rebuilding efforts, at least according to the TV screens scattered around the Tower lobby. Tony caught a brief shot of a construction wall covered with sun-faded and tattered MISSING and HAVE YOU SEEN? posters, and it stopped him in his tracks. 

He wasn’t sure which nightmares were worse: the ones where the portal closed before he could return, or the ones where the victims of the battle , after begging for help, cursed him to hell for not doing enough. His bad dreams had gotten worse lately, and sometimes the only way to stave them off was to work himself to exhaustion. The fab machines in the basement had been very busy these last couple weeks, and he was just about ready to start running the new suits through their paces. 

Tony blinked and drew a deep breath to reorient himself. He’d just finished escorting the representatives from Damage Control back to the main security desk after yet another interminable meeting. Sitwell had finally insisted on an in-person confab, despite Tony’s preference for video conferencing. The SHIELD senior agent had brought not one, but two alphas with him, which had only added to the tenseness of the meeting. 

The older of the two alphas was a rough-looking, burly man about Tony’s age. He introduced himself as Agent Rumlow, stating he was on the security team of one of the storage facilities. He tried to pull the old macho handshake test, not realizing that the head of Stark Industries was as comfortable torquing wrenches and manhandling steel plates as he was sketching out designs or coding software. 

Tony kept a bland smile on his face as he matched Rumlow’s increasing grip strength, watching out of the corner of his eye as the other man’s knuckles turned white. Tony caught a whiff of coal smoke as the alpha yielded; his own scent was masked by an experimental pheromone-dampening cream, and thankfully it seemed to be doing the job. 

The other alpha was in his early thirties, and much more polished in his appearance. Agent Ward, a coordinator for the recovery teams, wore a well-tailored suit and had the barest hint of sage and evergreen clinging to him. Unlike Rumlow, he apparently had nothing to prove, as his handclasp was perfectly polite. Ward was also the one who answered when Tony brought up discrepancies in the inventory reports. 

“Yes, we’ve noticed that as well, Mr. Stark,” he replied, nodding reassuringly. “With so many different teams still bringing so much alien material in on a daily basis, keeping the statistics current is a challenge. I’m sure it’s just a minor glitch - someone transposing numbers on a form or something. I’ll be sure to let Director Hoag know about your concerns.” 

Their meeting had been the last official item on his schedule and Tony was done with work for the day; the pile of papers on his desk could wait til tomorrow. As he returned to the elevator bank, one of the security guards asked, “Mr. Stark -- any idea when Captain Rogers might be back in town? I promised my kid I’d get her an autograph for her birthday.” 

“Supposed to be back in town sometime tonight, last I heard,” Tony replied breezily, as if referring to a co-worker who had been on a business trip, not a lover gone for much too long. 

Steve had texted him earlier in the day that he was heading back to the city after having spent the majority of the past month and a half touring various SHIELD installations. Fury’s organization was obviously trying to court Captain America in hopes that he’d join their team. It was one thing to partner with SHIELD on a project; but Tony still wasn’t sure how he felt about Steve actually becoming a part of that super-secret spook group. 

But it wasn’t his choice, and Tony knew better to argue. After all, the guy had subjected himself to a potentially deadly mostly-untested experiment just for a chance to serve his country. Besides, Tony wasn’t quite sure where he stood with Steve. They hadn’t bonded during his last heat, and Tony didn’t know why. 

He wasn’t sure if Steve was an old-fashioned alpha, who believed in only bonding once, or if it were simply too soon after losing his original bondmate. Tony could respect either of those decisions, but was afraid if he brought it up, he’d discover the real reason why: that he wasn’t the right partner for Steve after all.

As Tony had suspected, their relationship had cooled somewhat once his heat was over. Whether it was the fact that they hadn’t bonded, or just the fading of their hormones, it felt as if the two of them had gone back to simply being friends. It probably hadn’t helped that Banner had come back to the city to take up residence in the Tower as well. And while Tony was enjoying the fellow scientist’s presence, it had affected the dynamic between himself and Steve. 

The intimate connection the two of them had shared, which had existed between them even before making love for the first time, seemed now to be only an artifact of the past. There had been occasional moments where their passion rekindled itself with kisses stolen in an empty hallway, or lingering looks and touches, but then they were back to being at arms’ length. 

There had been that memorable night before Steve left on his his SHIELD tour, but neither of them said a word about it afterwards, despite being in touch regularly during Steve’s absence. Apparently ‘friends with benefits’ had been a thing even back in the forties. Tony supposed it was simpler this way. Better to have Steve in his life -- whether as a teammate, pal and/or fuckbuddy -- than not at all. 

But as Tony’s hand hovered over the touchpad of the elevator, he couldn’t keep from asking, “JARVIS, do you have an update on Steve’s whereabouts?” 

“Captain Rogers returned to the Tower an hour ago. He inquired as to your location, and declined to have me interrupt your meeting. Shall I tell him you are available?” 

Tony didn’t hesitate, suddenly overwhelmed by the sudden need to see, to be with his alpha. Even if said alpha was no longer -- never had truly been -- his. “Where is he?” 

“In his suite, Sir.” 

“Tell him I’m on my way.” 

 

Tony knocked on the door to Steve’s suite, not even having a chance to complete the ‘shave and a haircut’ rhythm before it swung open. Without a word, Steve swept him into a fierce embrace, then almost as suddenly stepped back, holding him at arm’s length. “What’s wrong, Tony? Have you been ill?” 

Tony knew he wasn’t looking his best -- sleep deprivation does that to a man -- but he didn’t think that was what Steve meant. “I’m okay, sunshine. Pheromone masking creme. It’s just temporary. Washes right off with a bit of soap and water.” At Steve’s continued look of confusion and concern, Tony continued. “I had to meet with the Damage Control reps and a little birdie told me there might be some alphas in the group.” 

Tony suspected he had Natasha to thank for that tidbit of intel. She had probably also been the one to point Pepper towards a small pharmaceutical firm that was doing research on human pheromones. They had been encouraged to apply for a Stark Industries grant and after a couple of suggestions on where to focus their research, they were happy to provide the CEO of the company with several samples, no questions asked. 

“One minor side effect - the cream starts itching like crazy after a couple of hours,” Tony admitted. “Mind if I use your bathroom to get cleaned up?” 

“Not at all, go right ahead.” Steve’s response was almost overly polite. “Have you had dinner already? I was thinking of getting some take out.” 

“I haven’t eaten and whatever sounds good to you, Cap.” Something was a little off about Steve’s behavior, but Tony couldn’t quite place it. “I shouldn’t be too long.” 

 

But as he scrubbed at his pulse points with a washcloth, Tony found himself reflecting on his recent visit with Peggy Carter. He had gone to DC on business just a week previous, and took advantage of a free afternoon to go say hello. She’d been having a good day, and was glad to see him. After exchanging pleasantries, she launched right into some rather pointed questions. 

“Still dealing with the aftermath of the invasion, Anthony?” 

“Afraid so. But the rebuilding around the city is going well, as is the cleanup of the alien tech.” 

“That’s not quite what I meant. You haven’t been sleeping well, have you?” He winced a little; she’d always been able to read him like a book. 

“Not really, Aunt Peggy. But I’m doing okay.” 

She sniffed in disbelief. “And what about Steve?” 

“I couldn’t say. He’s been out on a Grand Circle Tour, courtesy of SHIELD. They’re angling to get him on their team.” 

“Still trying to make himself useful, I see. But I doubt they’ve given much thought to the man behind the uniform.” Peggy sighed and picked up a framed photo of the Howling Commandos; Captain America smiling into the camera with his arms slung around the shoulders of his brothers in arms. She smiled wistfully, then turned to Tony. “Do you consider Steve a friend, Anthony?” 

Her question caught him off guard. “Well, yeah. We kinda started off on the wrong foot, but we’ve gotten to know each other fairly well, seeing as we’re teammates and neighbors and all.” That was one way to put it, he supposed. 

She nodded thoughtfully. “What Steve needs is someone he can trust, someone who understands him. He had that in Sergeant Barnes, you know.” 

“Sure I do, Aunt Peggy. Just look at that photo. ‘Inseparable on both the schoolyard and the battlefield’ - that’s what it said in all the history books.” Tony had a sudden, sinking feeling that he knew where this conversation was headed.

She fixed him with a steady gaze. “They were much closer than any of those history books have ever let on, Anthony. Perhaps you and Steve could develop that sort of ... bond?” Damn her eyes -- she’d always been able to see right through him. 

“I’m not sure that--” Tony protested.

“Nonsense!” she interrupted, slapping the back of his hand. “You told me about that Stone fellow when you were younger, so I know you’re at least somewhat interested in men. And Barnes was an omega, as are you. Both smart, stubborn men who have risen to every challenge thrown their way. No wonder Steve cares about you.” 

She sat down, and her gaze went distant for a moment. “I was quite jealous of James at first, I admit; but I would have been willing to be ... flexible... if given the chance. But losing his omega broke something in Steve, and I saw in retrospect that the Valkyrie simply gave him a noble excuse to end the pain.” 

Her eyes grew wet, and she paused, then squeezed Tony’s hand with surprising strength. “I know it’s dreadfully old-fashioned to say so, but alphas and omegas need one another. Don’t let a chance at happiness pass you by, my dear.” 

 

As he toweled off, Tony reflected on her words. While she was the most practical, pragmatic person he knew, he suspected Aunt Peggy was being sentimentally optimistic in this case. But then again, perhaps he and Steve could come to an arrangement after all; an ‘I scratch your back, you scratch mine’ agreement. If he only could keep his heart out of it, he’d be fine. So Tony got dressed, leaving his shirt untucked and throwing his jacket over his shoulder. 

Tony realized he’d taken longer in the bathroom than he’d intended, as Steve was just coming back into the suite with their dinner. He held up a familiar-looking bag. “Hope shawarma's okay.” 

“Sure.” They sat at the table, and as they ate, Steve talked about what he’d been up to over the past several weeks. 

“Did I tell you about Sam? Sam Wilson? The guy I met while out running in DC one morning?” 

“Yeah, he turned out to be a counselor at a VA center down there, right? ” 

“That’s him. Real nice guy. Served with the 58th Rescue Squadron in the Middle East. He lost a buddy during a firefight, so I guess we have that in common. He said to stay in touch, call him if I needed to talk.” The squadron name rung a bell with Tony; he’d ask JARVIS about it later. 

Steve then continued sharing his experiences on the road, but with less enthusiasm than Tony would have expected. “Kinda felt like I was back on the USO tour. They even had me put the uniform on and film a few things to show in schools.” 

“Did they have pretty chorus girls joining you onstage again?” Tony asked teasingly, hoping to get a rise out of Steve, but he just shook his head. 

“No, but Agent Blake, my SHIELD liaison, made a point of introducing me to several gals along the way. A couple of them came on strong; musta thought I needed to blow off a little steam. Needless to say, I didn’t take them up on the offer.” 

“Why not?” As an image of Steve with Sharon Carter flickered up in Tony’s mind, the petty-sounding question slipped out before he could think better of it. 

“Tony,” The mix of hurt and reproach in Steve’s response surprised him. “Of course I wouldn’t, not after... ” Then he sighed. “I’m sorry. I know things have changed between us over the past few months. I’m just trying to follow your lead.” 

“My lead? I’m not the one who’s been gallivanting around the country for the past month, while SHIELD attempted to wine, dine and sixty-nine me! ” 

Steve flinched, a slight blush rising to his face. “That’s true, I suppose. But seeing as you’ve kept both your omega status and your interest in men hidden for years, I figured I was just another secret better off stashed in the closet." There was a touch of bitterness in that statement, and Tony couldn't quite blame him. "And while I do respect your decision," Steve continued, "it’s made things difficult between us, hasn’t it?” 

Before Tony could try to explain, to justify his actions (or lack thereof), Steve added, “Besides, haven’t you ever stopped to think that as a genius billionaire superhero philanthropist, you could be doing a lot of good as a role model?” 

“Role model?” Tony replied incredulously, “Poster child, more like. The boy genius who never grew up; an oblivious playboy who fiddled while Rome burned, letting a trusted mentor stab him in the back.” 

Steve shook his head slowly. “There’s a lot of young omegas who need to see someone who has not only risen above the stereotypes, but smashed them to pieces as well. I’m not just saying that because I love you, Tony. I know a hero when I see one, and so do a lot of people. Just take a look through the bags of fan mail in Stark Industries’ mailroom. ” 

Tony had done exactly that, while Steve was gone. He’d seen bright red and gold crayon drawings from children barely old enough to write their names. Read heartfelt letters thanking Iron Man and his teammates for their bravery, for saving their loved ones from certain disaster. There had been crackpot letters as well; but he’d been receiving marriage proposals and death threats (sometimes in the same envelope) for years. And then Tony realized he’d missed something. Something very important. 

“Wait, Steve. Did you just say you loved me?” 

“Yes.” His reply -- as definite and assured as if he’d been asked if the sky were blue or if the Pope were Catholic -- took Tony’s breath away. 

He got out a shaky, “Me too, sunshine,” before stumbling into Steve’s wholehearted embrace. 

“Did you think I’d stopped loving you, sweetheart? Or that I hadn’t really meant it?” Steve’s voice was soft as he carded his fingers through Tony’s hair.

“No... yes... maybe? I do know that I have a history of failing at relationships. So I made the logical assumption that I’d done it again.” Under his cheek, Tony felt Steve’s chest heave in a massive sigh. “Told you I was a handful, sunshine.”

“Good thing I have big hands, then,” Steve cupped Tony’s face and drew him into a kiss. Reassurance washed over him as their lips pressed softly together. Drawing back to take a breath, Steve asked, “You’re about to start your cycle again, aren’t you, darlin’?” 

“Yeah, hence the masking creme. And, I suppose, the whole emotional outburst thing.” Steve hugged him reassuringly. 

“I want to ask you something, Tony. Please don’t answer right away -- I want you to really think about it first.” The earnestness of Steve’s words piqued Tony’s curiosity and he gave the alpha his full attention. “Tony Stark, would you be my bondmate?”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Steve discuss the repercussions of their upcoming bonding in terms of the larger picture. They gain a few allies along the way, and then Tony gets pulled away to California for a few days to help Pepper with a potential merger proposal.

Of course Tony said yes. He would have said yes the moment Steve was done popping the question. But Steve had also asked him to think about it, to make sure he understood what it would mean for them to become bondmates. And Tony did exactly that -- pondering and poring over all the pros and cons. 

One huge sticking point was whether -- more likely when -- their relationship would become public, as well as what kind of impact that would have not only on their individual lives, but the team as a whole. And while Tony’s clandestine affair with Ty was but a pale shadow in comparison to Steve having to keep his relationship with Barnes a secret, Tony remembered how disheartening it was to not be able to demonstrate their affection in public. He wouldn’t put his soon-to-be-bondmate through that again; Tony knew the best way to control a story was to get out ahead of it. 

Discussing the potential repurcussions with Steve felt a little like showing the teacher your homework, but Tony wanted him to know that he’d done as he was asked, and not made the decision at a moment’s notice. As they talked, Steve kept rubbing at a spot on his collarbone. He’d done the same thing when he’d asked Tony to be his bondmate. 

“Sunshine, what’s up with the...?” and Tony mimicked the gesture. Steve started guiltily, looking at his hand as if he hadn’t even realized what he was doing. 

“Oh.” Steve dropped his head and took a deep breath. “You see, when Bucky and I first bonded, he thought it wasn’t fair that I got to leave a mark on him and not vice versa. So he bit me. It was kind of a joke and kind of not; but it felt right. Good, even.” Steve looked back up through those unfairly long lashes of his, a dull red coming to his cheeks even as his eyes were challenging Tony to make light of his confession. 

“I’m sure it did.” Tony spoke cautiously; he knew Steve was still mourning Barnes and didn’t want to make a misstep. 

“It was the first thing he looked for, once I got him off the table at Kreischberg. Broke my heart to tell him it was gone, that the serum had healed every scar I had.” Steve looked away, and his shoulders hitched slightly before meeting Tony’s eyes again. “He took the news awfully well. Said he’d just have to try to make another mark stick.” He smiled, but it was a fragile, fleeting thing. 

“Steve, I can only imagine how much he still means to you. We ... we don’t have to do any of this.” Tony didn’t want Steve to feel obligated in any way, even after everything they’d been through. 

“Oh, sweetheart... just because I miss Bucky doesn’t mean I don’t love you.” Steve reached up to cup Tony’s cheek in his hand. “I’m not taking anything back. I want you by my side for as long as I can have you.” 

“You’ve got me for as long as you want, then.” And they sealed the deal with a kiss. 

 

Thanks to Steve’s inspirational words about being a role model, about making a difference in the lives of others, Tony decided that he would come out publicly as an omega once his impending heat was over. After the repercussions of that announcement had faded, then they could look at revealing their romantic relationship. 

The first people they brought on board to help with the plan were Pepper, Happy and Rhodey. Of course, they already knew about Steve and Tony; Pepper having figured it out practically before they had themselves, when they’d seen her at Coulson’s memorial service. Happy had seemingly drawn his own conclusions as well, simply saying, “Huh. Well, good for you both.” when Tony told him.

As for Rhodey, Tony had called his oldest friend once the worst of his initial heat had passed to tell him about Steve. Tony had figured Rhodey might get a little protective; but he didn’t expect him to jump on the next plane to New York, catch a cab to the Tower and demand that Tony meet him in the workshop alone. 

Rhodey stormed into the room in full military regalia, pulled Tony into a rough embrace, then proceed to look him over carefully, pushing up his sleeves and tugging at his collar. He actually growled when he spotted a few fading love bites on Tony’s neck. 

“Cool it, poppa bear,” Tony replied, stepping back from his dear friend and straightening his clothes. “I promise everything between the good Captain and me has been 100% consensual, as well as a hell of a lot of fun.” Rhodey snorted a little at that, but loosened his grip on Tony’s arm. “Steve’s a good guy, and he’s been good for me,” Tony continued. “Makes sure I actually get some sleep and consume something other than coffee and Dum-E’s smoothies. C’mon upstairs and say hi.” 

But Rhodey was still on full alert as they arrived at the penthouse, not relaxing an iota as Tony introduced him to Steve. “Captain,” he nodded stiffly. 

“Colonel Rhodes, it’s nice to finally meet you. I understand you and Tony go way back.” 

“Yes, yes we do. He tell you how many scrapes I pulled his skinny butt out of at MIT? That I nearly threw my career away by refusing to give up on searching for him in Afghanistan? How we took down a good dozen of Hammer’s murderbots together? What I want to make abundantly clear, Captain, is that I got Tony’s back. Always have. Always will.” The spiciness of Rhodey’s alpha scent hovered in the air as he drew himself up to his full height, nearly a match for Steve. 

“Message received loud and clear,” Steve responded solemnly, his own alpha scent rising. “Tony means a lot to me as well, and I intend to do right by him as long as he’ll let me.” He took Tony’s hand, subtly staking his claim. 

That was apparently the right answer, as Rhodey’s body language relaxed. He cracked a small smile as he turned to Tony. “Well, Tones, I think you picked a good one.” 

“Sure did, platypus.” Tony replied, stretching up to kiss Steve’s cheek. 

 

Tony was thankful that when he told Rhodey about his and Steve’s plan to make their relationship public, Rhodey didn’t try to second-guess him. “You know how much I hated that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ military bullshit, Tones. You and Rogers are gonna make a hell of a splash, but it’ll help a lot of people in the long run. Let me know what I can do to help.” 

Pepper was equally supportive, both personally and professionally. “If we’re lucky, maybe the news will give a couple of the old geezers on the Board a heart attack and we can get some fresh blood in,” she joked. She also recommended a Stark Industries publicity coordinator -- guaranteed discreet -- to help them plan their announcement and deal with the resultant press barrage. 

The next step was to gain a few more allies, and where better than to start as close to home as possible? “Got a couple of minutes for a chat, Banner?” Tony asked as he sauntered into the common kitchen area the next morning. 

“Sure. What’s on your mind, Tony?” 

“Assuming that we’re going to continue our Science Bromance, plus the whole Avengers thing, I figure there’s something you ought to know about me.” Tony took a calming breath. “I’m an omega. Kept it hidden for various and sundry reasons, but I’m turning over a new leaf.” 

“I... already knew that, I guess?" Banner gave him a baffled look. "What, did you tell The Other Guy or something?” 

“More like ‘or something’,” Tony replied. “After the whole portal deal, where Tall Green & Hulksome roared me back into the land of the living, my hormones were probably going crazy and he must have caught a whiff or two. Guess you got a super sniffer along with super strength.” 

“Huh.” Banner looked thoughtfully into his cup of tea. 

“Is my status going to be a problem?” Tony asked carefully. 

“No, no. Not at all. I do know a little something about your body not always being under your control. At least you have a schedule, some advanced warning.” Banner's twisted smile belied his joking tone. “Seriously, Tony, I appreciate you trusting me with this info. But what about Steve? He is an alpha, after all.” 

“Not a problem,” Tony was quick to reply. “We’ve, uh, worked it all out.” He didn’t want to outright lie to Banner, but wasn’t sure he was ready to spill all the beans at once. 

Banner raised a skeptical eyebrow. “All right, then, Tony, I’ll take your word for it. I’d like to get your thoughts on a project I’ve been rolling around in my head for awhile...” The conversation moved on to scientific matters, with Tony breathing a sigh of relief that the revelation had gone so smoothly. 

 

“Tony, I know this is last minute, but I really think you need to come out here and meet with this guy.” Pepper hadn’t sounded this genuinely excited about a business proposal in quite some time. “He’s come out of nowhere with all these amazing ideas and supposedly the tech to back it up. The thing is I don’t have anyone here just now who can tell whether he’s the real deal or not. I know you have a lot going on, but just come out for a day or two? Please?” 

As Tony started going through the info Pepper had sent him on Advanced Idea Mechanics and its founder, Aldrich Killian, he could see why she was so enthusiastic. If the guy could do half of what he said he could, Stark Industries should jump on the proposed partnership immediately. Tony was on one of the SI corporate jets that evening. 

Killian’s name had struck a slight bell, and as they shook hands, he said they’d met about a dozen years previously at a conference in Switzerland. But Tony was pretty damn sure he’d have remembered such a strikingly handsome man, even if he had spent most of that trip in various states of inebriation. Tony didn’t forget alphas that easily. 

Thankfully, Pepper had given him a heads up on Killian’s status, so Tony had applied the masking cream liberally. The plan was to wait until his heat had subsided before making his omega status known, and a slip up at this point would do much more harm than good. The subterfuge was successful, even though Tony found himself distracted more than once by Killian’s alpha scent. It was smoky and spicy and oddly compelling, but with a slight chemical tang to it that reminded Tony of Ty’s pheromone sprays. 

The man himself was quite the showman, with a slick portable holographic display rig that Tony found rather impressive. Killian started to address his pitch to Tony, who broke in to explain he was simply there as a technical advisor. “As CEO of Stark Industries, Ms. Potts will be making all the decisions. She’s the one you’ll have to convince that AIM is a worthy partner. I’m just here to keep you honest.” 

“I see.” Killian then turned his attention almost wholly to Pepper. His practiced patter reminded Tony of Hammer; not exactly a point in the guy’s favor; but unlike that hack, he seemed to have the know-how to back it up. Tony jotted down notes as he went along, saving questions for the end of the presentation. 

Killian was apparently a touchy-feely kind of guy as well, taking Pepper’s hand to walk with her inside the projection of his brain, and standing close behind her as he explained the theory behind his latest project. Even the way he invited her to pinch his arm to provoke a pain response was more of a flirtatious gesture than simple demonstration. 

Tony wasn’t convinced. He thought the whole ‘empty slot in the brain’ and ‘our DNA is destined to be upgraded’ seemed glib at best, and dangerous at worst, with the potential for abuse being staggering. Tony was particularly alarmed by Killian’s comment about ‘unlocking the alpha in all of us’. It sounded too much like what Stone had aspired to, and the world certainly didn’t need more of his toxic masculinity. 

After Killian wrapped up his presentation, Tony and Pepper excused themselves to discuss their conclusions. Not surprisingly, Pepper seemed quite taken with both the presentation and the man himself. Tony was more circumspect. “Considering all the biological implications of Extremis, I really want to get Banner’s take on the whole presentation. He knows perhaps better than anyone the perils of trying to change the human genetic code.” Pepper couldn’t argue with that. 

When Pepper told Killian that SI was interested, but really couldn’t make a deal today, it was all too obvious that wasn’t the answer he wanted. But he played nice and thanked them for their time, inviting them to come out to AIM’s campus any time for a more hands-on demonstration. Killian’s skin was almost unnaturally warm as they shook hands in farewell, and his scent had taken on an acrid tone. Tony maintained his expression of mild interest, even as his instincts told him to get away as quickly as possible, before the alpha’s temper exploded. 

Both physically and emotionally exhausted, Tony boarded the SI corporate jet to head back to the East Coast. Two cross-country flights in as many days tested Tony’s patience as well as his endurance even on good days, and this had not been one of those. Being exposed to a strange alpha so close to his heat had really done a number on him. It probably wasn’t helping that Happy, who had made the trip out west with him, had opted to stay out in California for a couple of days. Something about Killian’s second in command had triggered his suspicious tendencies and he wanted to follow up on them. 

“Something’s just not right about that Savin guy, Tony. Lemme check in with some buddies and see what I can find out. I’ll keep an eye on Pepper, too -- make sure Killian doesn’t get more friendly than he oughta.” Happy had become quite protective of Pepper over the past few months, and was perhaps a little in love with her as well. Tony didn’t blame him at all. 

Even with all the freedom and amenities of the corporate jet, Tony still felt restless, like a tiger in a cage. The familiar alternating chills and fever kicked in right around takeoff, and Tony drank three bottles of water, trying to wash the clinging scent of Killian out of his system. 

The spikes of jealousy he’d felt during the meeting were a little alarming as well. He loved Steve, he knew he did, but the way Killian had been flirting with Pepper triggered something almost primal in Tony. The worst part was that he wasn’t sure who he was more jealous of: Killian, for gaining Pepper’s interest; or Pepper for being the subject of Killian’s flirtations to start with. 

It would have been so much easier if Steve had been able to join him on the trip. While Tony joked about the Mile High Club initiation, simply having his alpha by his side would have been a comfort. But Steve had gone back to DC to see Peggy, for possibly the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I setting up a potential sequel, dear readers? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony flies home to bond with his alpha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly smut, but provides a hint or two towards the potential sequel as well.

Sharon Carter had reached out to Steve to let him know Peggy’s health had taken a turn for the worse. She suggested that maybe he should come and visit, just in case. 

Tony had seconded the notion; encouraging Steve to not worry about him. “I’ll be fine, sunshine. My heat shouldn’t kick in completely for almost a week. I’m flying out to California tonight and will be home in a day or two. Then I can just hang out in the workshop and let Dum-E bring me smoothies. As long as I hide the motor oil, he and JARVIS will do a fine job of taking care of me.” 

 

Turns out Tony's timing was a little off on his cycle. He called Steve as soon as the plane leveled out, not only to see if anything had changed with Peggy’s condition, but also in the hopes that the sound of his alpha’s voice would help calm him. 

“Hey, Tony, what’s up?” Based on the greeting, it seemed Steve wasn’t alone.

“Just wanted to let you know I’m winging my way back home, honeybunch,” Tony replied, stressing the endearment a little. “The meeting was a bit of a bust. Seemed to me that Killian’s ideas are a bit on the shady side. I’m thinking maybe we should sic a SHIELD agent or two on him and find out what’s really going on.” 

“Not sure I’d recommend that right now.” The guarded tone in Steve’s reply got Tony’s attention, as did the moment of muffled conversation that interrupted them. He couldn’t catch the words, but there were definitely two other voices, one male, low and rough, the other a determined-sounding woman. “On the bright side, Peggy is doing much better. I’m getting ready to head back to the city myself.” 

Tony was a little surprised that Peggy was bouncing back so quickly from what had sounded like her death knell, but he wasn’t going to complain. “Best news I’ve had all day on both counts. See you soon, sunshine.” 

“Likewise. Safe travels, Tony.” There was just a hint of affection in Steve’s voice, probably all that the situation allowed. But they wouldn’t have to hide their relationship much longer, and the stupid pangs of omega jealousy Tony had been feeling should finally subside. 

Hearing Steve had helped settle Tony a little, but he found he couldn’t focus on any of the projects he should have been working on. He turned on the television, flipped through the channels and watching bits and pieces of various shows, but nothing caught his attention there, either. Finally, Tony took advantage of one of his personal favorite amenities of the SI corporate jet: the full bath. After a long, hot shower and changing into comfortable clothes, the effects of being around Killian finally started to fade as the East Coast came into view. 

Tony didn’t get back to the Tower until a couple of hours after sunset. As soon as he stepped in the elevator, he asked JARVIS, “Is Steve back yet?” 

“Captain Rogers returned to the Tower forty-seven minutes ago.” He wondered why Steve hadn’t called to let him know he’d gotten home. 

“Take me to him, J.” 

The car stopped on his own floor, and as he stepped into the living room, Tony was amazed to see it glowing in the soft light of a dozen candles. 

“Welcome home, sweetheart.” Steve’s warm greeting was followed by an equally heartfelt embrace. “Missed you so much.” 

Tony breathed in the alpha’s scent and felt the last bits of tension and stress melt away. “Missed you too, sunshine.” 

Steve guided him over to the couch, where he’d already laid out a tray with plates of cheeses, meats and fruit. “JARVIS said you didn’t eat anything on the flight back.” 

“Tattletale.” Tony honestly hadn’t been hungry, but his stomach suddenly turned traitor with a loud rumble. He curled up next to Steve, and they worked their way through the contents of the plates. 

“So, Aunt Peggy survived another brush with the Grim Reaper. You’d think he’d figure out she’s nigh unkillable by this point.” Steve paused as he reached for another tidbit and Tony worried that perhaps he’d been a bit too flippant. 

“Actually, she wasn’t doing badly at all,” Steve replied. “It was an excuse for Sharon to get me to DC without making anyone suspicious.” 

“And who might this ‘anyone’ be, sunshine?” Tony asked, suddenly on edge. 

“Quite possibly some of the same people who’re trying to convince me to join their team.” Steve’s reply was as grave as it was unexpected. “Sharon has a couple of analyst pals at SHIELD who keep finding small discrepancies between assignments and post-mission briefings. People who weren’t where they say they’ve been. Funds and weapons that’ve mysteriously gone missing. Facilities suddenly disappearing off the map.” 

“Well, it is a spy organization, Steve. The place has got to be full of secrets. Clandestine cell structure and compartmentalization is the name of the game.” 

“That may be,” Steve admitted, “Or Sharon could be onto something, and Peggy agrees. They wanted to know if you’d gotten any unusual requests from Fury or anyone at SHIELD over the past few months.” 

“Not so much a request, but a few months ago, I did pass along some blueprints to upgrade the helicarrier propulsion systems after getting way too close a look at their turbine setup.” 

“Don’t remind me, darlin’,” Steve’s expression clouded. “You took a hell of a risk getting that engine spun back up.” 

“Had to be done,” Tony shrugged, trying to make light of the event. “But now we’re here together, safe and sound and well-fed.” He moved to straddle Steve’s lap. “So, how about we tackle another basic human appetite? I’m feeling awful hungry for my alpha’s attention, among other things.” Tony punctuated his statement with a roll of his hips, hoping to distract Steve from his somber mood. 

“Such a demanding omega,” Steve replied with an amused smile, sliding his hands under Tony’s shirt to rest them at the small of his back; a gesture both possessive and tender. 

“You wouldn’t want me any other way, now would you?” Tony leaned in for what was supposed to be a quick teasing kiss, but Steve claimed his mouth, greedily tasting every square inch and leaving Tony breathless. 

Steve’s eyes were dark with desire as he broke off the kiss, “I can think of lots of ways I want to have you, sugar. How’s about this position, for starters?” His grip around Tony tightened as he thrust up against his omega. 

“Yes, Steve, please,” And that was all the encouragement the alpha needed, firmly holding Tony to him as, in one quick motion, he stood. “Dear god, that’s hot,” Tony panted, wrapping his legs around Steve. “Bedroom?” 

“That’s the plan.” Tony couldn’t help but distract Steve, just a little as they headed that direction. After all, his neck was right there, just begging to be kissed and nibbled. The half-groan, half-growl Tony got in reply only made him redouble his efforts, but he didn’t expect Steve’s quiet plea, barely more than a whisper. “Harder.” 

Tony paused, not quite sure if he’d heard correctly. Still pressed close together, he felt as much as saw Steve’s blush crawl down to his neck and below the collar of his shirt. Tony grabbed the edge of the bedroom doorway to stop them before they passed through and leaned back to look Steve in the face. “What do you want, sweetheart?” 

“I want,” Steve took a deep breath through his nose. “I want to know, to have proof that I belong to you. Buck was right. Bonding is a two way street, might as well show it.” There was a strange note of defiance in his reply; as if Steve felt he should be ashamed for asking this. 

“You want me to mark you, sweetheart? Claim you as mine?” Tony let his voice drop into a deeper register, and was pleased to see Steve’s pupils expand even more, pushing the blue into a thin band. “It would be both an honor and a pleasure. Just tell me when.” 

They moved apart for only as long as it took to get undressed, then Tony was back on Steve’s lap, nearly trembling with anticipation. “Help me with this, sugar?” Steve handed him a familiar bottle, and Tony squirted a generous amount of lube into Steve’s hands. Tony gasped with surprise when he grasped both their cocks at once. Steve squeezed gently, fingers barely encircling them as he began a slow and easy stroke. 

Then Steve reached around to trace down Tony’s cleft; the prep Tony had done in the shower on the plane paid off when Steve’s finger pressed in, nice and easy. “Oh darlin’, did you start without me? Or do you just want it that much?” Steve teased. 

“Little bit of both,” the reply came out half as a moan; Tony rocking between the two points of stimulation. Steve’s second and third finger slid in almost as easily, the burn barely noticeable through the haze of pleasure.

“Look at you, doll, opening so nice for me. All wet and eager.” Tony nearly melted at Steve’s words of praise. “Think you’re ready?’ 

“Y-y-yes. Need you, alpha,” Tony stuttered out, unsuccessfully stifling a whimper as Steve moved his hands. Steve laid back as Tony raised himself up on his knees, reaching behind him to make sure Steve was lined up properly. He took his time lowering himself down onto his alpha’s cock, the stretch riding the line between pleasure and pain. Steve remained still, his hands on Tony’s hips to help steady him, letting the omega control his own descent.

“You’re taking me so good, sugar,” Steve murmured, rubbing small circles with his thumbs over Tony’s hip bones. “So tight and hot -- drivin’ me crazy to just lay here.” 

“Give me just a few moments more, loverboy,” Tony panted in reply, “I’ll do my best to be worth the wait.” He could already feel his body relaxing, his lover’s hands helping to ground and center him. Once they were fully joined, Tony flexed slightly, eliciting a groan from Steve. “Ready for a good time, soldier?” 

“Following your lead, doll.” Tony started rocking back and forth, the drag and pull sending sparks shooting through his system. And not just his; Steve’s breathy groans were music to Tony’s ears as he started to move in time. Part of Tony wanted to keep this slow, steady pace up for hours, but as the flames of desire mounted, he needed more. 

And as if Steve could read his mind, he said, “C’mere, darlin’.” He opened his arms, and Tony leaned forward, to lay on his alpha’s chest. Burying his face in the crook of his lover’s neck, he could feel Steve’s pulse through his carotid artery and was nearly overwhelmed with his alpha scent. Steve raised his knees, and with the new angle, he was hitting that sweet spot inside, making Tony keen with pleasure. 

“Gettin’ close, aren't cha, doll?” Steve purred in Tony’s ear. He was; not only did every thrust push him closer to his climax, but having his cock trapped and sliding slickly between their bodies doubled the sensation. “Mark me, Tony. Bite down hard when you come.” 

The tone of command in Steve’s voice was all Tony needed to send him right over the edge. He chose a spot halfway between Steve’s neck and shoulder and sunk his teeth into his lover’s skin. A hot, coppery tang trickled from his lips even as his own release shot out to pool between them. Trembling as the waves of pleasure receded, Tony felt Steve stroking the back of his neck, fingers tracing around the hot swollen node, even as his hips slowed and stilled. 

“Sweetheart, you didn’t.... you haven’t.... “ Tony slurred, feeling guilty that Steve hadn’t come, that maybe the pain of his bite had been too distracting. 

“Not yet, sugar. Want you on your hands and knees -- gonna take you that way.” Tony didn’t hesitate, shakily dismounting and then assuming the position, head resting on his forearms as he balanced on his elbows. Steve stroked up and down his back in a calming gesture as he moved behind Tony. “Absolutely gorgeous, doll. You’re being so good for me. You want it nice and slow or all at once?” 

“All at once, please.” He braced himself as with one smooth motion Steve sank into him with a satisfied moan. Tony echoed his cry, arching his back to feel every last inch of his alpha’s cock filling him up. 

At first, Steve clutched at Tony’s hips, holding his lover in place with every thrust, but then he leaned over and wrapped one arm around Tony’s chest, carefully avoiding the reactor as he pulled Tony tight against him. With anyone else, Tony would have felt trapped; but with Steve, he knew he was protected and cherished. 

“Touch yourself for me, darlin’.” Steve’s urgent murmur was all too easy to obey. Still slick from their earlier adventures, Tony’s cock was half-hard already, and responded surprisingly well to his firm strokes. And when Steve mouthed the back of his neck, he couldn’t help but moan and beg for more. “Soon, sweetheart. I promise,” Steve reassured him. “Wanna feel you come around me as I take you nice ‘n deep. Can’t believe you’re still tight after you rode me so well just now.” 

Steve’s dirty talk was definitely doing the trick; another orgasm was building inside Tony, almost ready to break free. He canted his hips to just the right angle as he gripped himself tightly. “Dear god, I’m so damn close,” Tony gasped, and the firm press of Steve’s lips against the nape of his neck was all he needed to tip over the edge. As Steve sank both his teeth and his cock deep into Tony, the momentary stab of pain was obliterated by a wash of ecstasy. 

A sob of pleasure escaped Tony’s lips, followed by panting whines as Steve’s knot formed inside him. He could feel the stretch, but the pain seemed distant, blocked by whatever endorphins had been released when Steve claimed him. Tony was light-headed and everything felt slightly out of focus. His limbs were oddly heavy, but at the same time it was as if he were floating in body-temperature water. Tony suspected that without Steve’s arm tucked around him, he would collapse face first into the bed. 

“Tony, sweetheart, are you okay?” The question reached him from what seemed a great distance. He hummed an affirmative reply, words being too difficult at the moment. He turned his head towards his alpha’s voice, slowly blinking his eyes open to see a sunshine smile beaming down at him. 

Steve kissed him tenderly, then said, “Okay, darlin’. Let’s get a little more comfortable.” He eased them down on their sides, still spooned closely together, then stretched to grab a towel to clean Tony up. 

“Are we bonded now?” Tony asked hazily. 

“Yes, dearest. And I want to tell the whole world.” 

“Me too. JARVIS, send out a press release. ‘Captain America takes Iron Man as his beloved bondmate after screwing him into the mattress.” 

Steve chuckled, then added, “Belay that order. We’ll talk more about this in the morning, sweetheart.” 

“Okay,” Tony sighed happily, snuggling into his alpha’s arms and drifting off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're done! Umpteen thanks to all my Constant Readers who took a chance on a WIP and whose comments kept me going on this fic. And thanks to those of you joining us now it's complete. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. Both hddnone/Marvelous Menagerie and this-is-romanoff were rock star beta-readers - mwah! 
> 
> A prequel is on the way -- featuring Steve & Bucky as they transition to alpha and omega and their bonding. If all goes well, it will start posting in mid-November. As for a sequel.... well - we shall see; I definitely left a few threads to start building on, didn't I? :^)

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are my writer's lifeblood. Feel free to come say hi over on [ Tumblr](https://polizwrites.tumblr.com/) too!


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